IOW DEATH
| «
°
Portrait of
Red Nichols-
Then and Now
ws
Why Moscow
Said Nyet
To ‘Djahz’
Record Reviews
Chet Baker
Bobby Hackett
Chico Hamilton
Thelonious Monk
Horace Silver
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ERRY MULLIGAN QUARTET
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TITLES
the first chorus
By Charles Suber
= The police action against some
grimy Greenwich Villagers reading
their poetry (see news) in a candle-
lit cellar was very funny. I only
hope it remains funny long enough
for the New York police commis-
ioner to see how ridiculous licensing
of performers can be. For when cen-
sorship is reduced to laughable
terms, it is on the way out.
The police, in a jungle like New
York, are understandably touchy
about evil. They are, however, some-
times confused about its source... .
and its remedy. (Their edict strap-
ping female members of the African
dance troupe into C-cup harness
gave the promoters priceless pub-
licity.)
If they want to clean up some of
the messier items in the entertain-
ment business, they could direct
their attention to the hood club
owner and ask why his arrest sheet
entitles him to hold a liquor license.
Or ask the cop on the beat who has
the neighborhood jukeboxes and
how they got there. Or even look at
the sties—laughingly called dressing
rooms—provided for the talent.
In short, the police can find many
legitimate offenses against society to
worry about, without restricting a
performer’s right to work.
You might have thought that the
paid representatives of the performer
—the managers, agents, and union
oficials—would take his fight as
theirs. This is greviously not so. The
fight has had to be carried on by
such performers as Johnny Richards,
Steve Allen, and others who felt that
all bells toll for thee.
Conspicuous by their half-hearted
participation in the fight was the
musicians’ own union. Al Manuti,
president of Local 802, the largest
in the world, said he wanted no trou-
ble with the police. I suggest that
Mr. Manuti take the trouble. What
pride can he or his executive board
members take as musicians, or union
officials, when they let their feljow
members be subject to humiliation
and loss of employment unjustly? Oh
maybe, as many suspect, Mr. Manuti
is a politician first.
Why does it take a “funny” inci-
dent like the Village poets to bring
public officials back to reality? Why
dlo so many people continually for-
get that poor performance gets its
own reward?
No one seems to have faith in
public taste except the public. The
public always exercises the best and
most direct control over talent be-
havior. The public has the last word
every time. It just has to speak out.
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PRESII
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PUBLI
Ct
MANA
naa > “ooo ow
PROD
ADVI
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was the
| Manuti,
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ive board
or union
ir fellow
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ustly? Or
» Manuti
ny” inci-
to bring
ity? Why
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gets its
faith in
lic. The
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lent be-
ast word
eak out.
ab
down beat
VOL. 26 NO. 14 JULY 9, 1959
TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY YEAR
PRESIDENT
L. B. DIDIER
PUBLISHER
CHARLES SUBER
MANAGING EDITOR
EUGENE LEES
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
New York:
GEORGE HOEFER
Los Angeles:
JOHN TYNAN
HIGH FIDELITY EDITOR
CHARLES GRAHAM
CORRESPONDENTS
BOSTON: George Forsythe.
LAS VEGAS: Gene Tuttle.
PHILADELPHIA: David B. Bittan.
SAN FRANCISCO: Richard Hadlock.
WASHINGTON: Tom Scanlan.
MONTREAL: Henry F. Whiston.
TORONTO: Roger Feather.
STOCKHOLM: Olle Helander.
PRODUCTION MANAGER
MARVIN MALLMAN
ADVERTISING PRODUCTION
GLORIA BALDWIN
CIRCULATION DIRECTOR
DAVID YANCEY
EXECUTIVE OFFICES:
205 West Monroe Street
Chicago 6, Illinois
Financial 6-7811
EDITORIAL OFFICES:
370 Lexington Avenue
New York 17, New York
MUrray Hill 6-1833
6106 Santa Monica Boulevard
Hollywood 38, California
HOllywood 3-6005
ADVERTISING OFFICES:
Charles Suber
Richard Theriault
205 West Monroe Street
Chicago 6, Illinois
Financial 6-7811
Brand and Brand
6314 San Vincente Boulevard
Los Angeles 48, California
WEbster 8-3971
Mel Mandel
George Leon
370 Lexington Avenue
New York 17, New York
MUrray Hill 6-1833
Contents
THE NEWS
RUSSIANS VETO JAZZ EXCHANGE 9
BILLIE HOLIDAY’S ILLNESS 11
POLICE AND THE POETS 12
JACK TRACY LEAVES MERCURY 13
LIVE MUSIC ON RISE IN TV 15
FEATURES
RED NICHOLS IN HISTORY 19
. . . AND RED NICHOLS TODAY 21
A SCORE FOR FIVE PENNIES 22
WHAT'S IN STORE IN STEREO 25
DEPARTMENTS
THe First CHorus ReEcorD REVIEWS $1
(Charles Suber) 6 =
BLINDFOLD TEs1
CuHorbs AND Discorps 6 (Ernestine Anderson) 39
Srrictty Ap Lis 8
Photo Credits: Page 10, Ted Williams; Page 12, Lenscraft; Page 14, Charles Stewart;
Page 16, Pete Peters.
— — boa
IN THE NEXT ISSUE
A postponed Porgy and Bess issue will make its appearance at last,
with special interviews with Andre Previn, who was musical director
of the film, and Ira Gershwin, lyricist for Porgy. There will be a
roundup of records released to coincide with the picture.
Subscription rates $7 a year, $12 two years, $16 three years in advance. Add $1 a year
to these prices for subscription outside the United States, its possessions, and Canada.
Single copies—Canada, 35 cents; foreign, 50 cents. Change of address notice must reach
us five weeks before effective date. Send old address with your new. Duplicate copies
cannot be sent and post office will not forward copies. Address all circulation correspon-
dence to Circulation Dept. 205 West Monroe Street, Chicago 6, Illinois. Printed in U.S.A.
Entered as second-class matter Oct. 6, 1939, at the post office in Chicago, Ill., under the
act of March 3, 1879. Re-entered as second-class matter Feb. 25, 1958. Copyright,
1959 by Maher Publications, a division of John Maher Printing Co., all foreign rights re-
served. Trademark registered U. §. Patent Office. Great Britain registered trademark No.
719,407. Published bi-weekly; on sale every other Thursday. We cannot be responsible for
unsolicited manuscripts. Member, Audit Bureau of Circulations.
MAHER PUBLICATIONS: DOWN BEAT; COUNTRY AND WESTERN JAMBOREE;
MUSIC '59; JAZZ RECORD REVIEWS; N.A.M.M. DAILY; RADIO Y ARTICULOS
ELECTRICOS; BEBIDAS; ELABORACIONES Y ENVASES.
(ADV.)
education in jazz
By Marshall Brown
I wear two hats in regard to the
Berklee School—one as an educator and
the other as an active participant in the
highly competitive field of professional
music
And I take them both off to the
Berklee School.
The Berklee approach to music ed-
ucation is directly connected to the real
MARSHALL BROWN
Educator, Composer,
Bandleader
world of music.
The
time is spent in
educative experi-
ences which have
real meaning to
one who will
eventually earn
student's
his livelihood in
the broad field of
popular-dance-
jazz music.
The fac-
ulty utilizes what
modern educators now know about how
people learn. The curricula, choice of
faculty, and the methods of teaching are
aimed at one specific purpose: the train-
ing of the student for a place in today’s
world of music.
In fact, several of my former stu-
dents are attending Berklee on my rec-
ommendation, and I can see the astonish-
ing progress they have made on the road
to professionalism. The dilettante need
not apply. At
business.
this school
they mean
The student with talent and energy
will graduate from Berklee directly into
the world of professional music.
For further information, I suggest
that you write to Mr.
Lawrence Berk,
Director of the Berklee School of Music,
284 Newbury Street, Boston, Mass.
WUarshall Brown
Register Now for...
FALL TERM
which begins September 8, 1959
DIPLOMA OR DEGREE COURSES
with Majors in...
® instrumental Performance
® Arranging and Composition
® Music Education
Berklee
SCHOOL OF MUSIC
284 Newbury St., Boston 15, Mass.
6
¢ DOWN BEAT
chords and discords
Two Views of Peggy
(The following was received as a tele-
gram:)
TV SPECTACULARS FOSTER OFF JANE
MORGAN AS A JAZZ SINGER GEORGE
HOEFFER* WRITES THAT PEGGY LEE
IS THE GREATEST RECORDED WHITE
JAZZ SINGER SINCE MILDRED BAILEY
DOES THIS MEAN HELEN MERRILL
ANITA ODAY AND ANNIE ROSS ARE
TODAYS GREATEST WHITE POP SING-
ERS AS A JAZZ ORIENTATED MAGA-
ZINE YOUR ARTICLES THE PAST 12
MONTHS HAVE BOGGED DOWN IN
STUPIDITY AND LAPSED INTO CHAOS.
WASHINGTON AUDREY EDWARDS
. congratulations and many thanks for
your accurate and appreciative story on
this great creative talent. I have always
felt that (Miss Lee) was not truly known
and praised enough by the public and even
many people actually in the business.
Your story hit it right on the head and
will undoubtedly mean a lot in placing her
among the greats in years to come. It’s
| comforting to know that we can rely on
“trade” publications such as yours to put
the story on artists like Peggy Lee on the
line, in proper perspective . . . It made
me feel good.
New York, N. Y.
Plea from Afar
(The following letter was sent not to
Down Beat but to World Pacific records.
The name of the writer is withheld, since
he had not sent his letter with the expec-
tation of publication. However, the letter
is a moving statement of what jazz can
mean to peoples abroad, particularly in
the Iron Curtain countries.)
Richard Allen
My Dear Mr. Director:
I am a Polish man of 70 years and a
pensioner. I am a adorer of jazz and his
zealous lover. Jazz is for me with a joy
- hope .. . life. I to be transported
with joy whenever hear of Gerry Mulligan,
Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Lionel Hampton,
Duke Ellington, or Louis Armstrong, Bunk
Johnson, etc. I idolize every style jazz:
from King Oliver and Jelly Roll Morton,
across Benny Goodman and Count Basie to
the Modern Jazz Quartet or Bud Shank
and Stan Kenton. Every day I hear the
Music USA. Willis Conover is a splendid
expert in jazz. Mine favorite combo is
Gerry Mulligan Quartet, but best trumpet-
er is for me Chet Baker.
My Dear Sir, I have not nones a Ameri-
can jazz records, therefore I please very
much to send me only one LP jazz record
by Gerry Mulligan Quartet PJ-1241. I be
happy very much if, my Dear Sir, to send
me record by Gerry Mulligan and Chet
Baker, and jazz catalogue. I really very
grateful to you.
Pardon me, that I make bold ask to this
valuable present, but I be not able to buy
a American records in Poland. I be not
able pay, but willingly very much I send
you a polish records.
At the end I send you mine cordial
greetings. Pardon me, but I don’t
very much English.
Chelmska, Poland Old adorer of jazz
(Foot note: World Pacific sent the ve-
quested record.)
know
Request for Help
I am planning to write a book on Thico-
dore (Fats) Novarro. I need all the in-
formation on the man I can possible gath-
er... It would help if this request for
information could be printed in Down
Beat.
626 Briarcliff Ave.
Utica, N. Y.
Setting Things Straight
In the Benny Golson blindfold test in
the June 12 issue, there was a typographical
error. The sentences reading, “The record-
ing balance sounded pretty good to me. I
could hear the trumpet player breathe!”
applied to the Buddy Tate record, Miss
Sadie Brown, not to the Gil Evans ’Round
Midnight, on which no trumpet player was
featured.
New York, N. Y.
Charles Fero
Leonard Feather
You're Welcome...
(Telegram)
THANK YOU FOR SCHOLARSHIP
SAGREB, YUGOSLAVIA SP ASSOV
(Peter Spassov is one of the winners of a
Down Beat scholarship to study at the
School of Jazz in Boston. The winners were
announced in the June 11 issue.)
Well, What Is 1+?
Referring to your short article Death of
Jazz, April 30, 1959 issue, page 13, I was
stopped by the sentence “Then someone
asks ‘What is Jazz?’ and someone else makes
a painstaking explanation.”
The question “What is Jazz?” is one
asked by anyone who digs jazz or by any-
one who is interested enough to ask. I,
a listener, couldn’t begin to explain. Even
a number of good jazz musicians couldn't
explain.
I’m asking you for a review, by someone
hip, of exactly what is jazz, and so ex-
plained that if I was asked “Why is that
jazz?” I could tell them.
Banning, Cal. Karol Markley
(Some explanations of the subject are
valid and valuable, others are mere pole-
mic. Try Henry Pleasants’ airing of the
subject in Ralph Gleason’s excellent book,
Jam Session.)
More Oldsters, Please
Referring to Chords and Dischords May
28, I was sorry to see the complaint con-
cerning reports on the old-timers. I thought
we all knew that these men once were new
and important voices, as are Miles, Sonny
and Milt today. Please continue your ar-
ticles on old-timers and mid-period musi-
cians, not because of pity but because many
of them still are blowing great jazz, worth
hearing and discussing,
Oslo, Norway Olav Angell
on’t ki
rer of
nt the
on Tl
ll the
sible gat
equest
in Do
a Dat LISTEN!
Id test in
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he record-
to me. I
breathe!”
ord, Miss
ns "Round ca , — “a — Me
player was F . ; ace a eS a WR
‘ poe ‘ |
rd Feather ; 4 Fencl % wth Nip } =<
. ATOR NRO
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NEW YORK
The trend to recording multiple horns appears to be
reaching some sort of high.
Following on the heels of its Trombone, Inc., LP,
Warner Bros has recorded a 12-man sax ensemble to be
released as Saxophones, Inc. Personnel on the disc:
Coleman Hawkins, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Seldon Powell
and George Auld, tenors; Hal McCusick, soprano; Herb
Geller, Phil Woods and Gene Quill, altos; plus two
baritones and one bass sax; Dick Katz, piano; Osie
Johnson, drums, and George Duvivier, bass. Bob Prince
did the arrangements and conducted.
Early Autumn and Cottontail are
among the numbers, along with (as a
tribute to Lester Young) Lester Leaps
aes
One of the first releases on the new
signature - Hanover label will be
Would You Believe It — I Have a
Cold Cha Cha, written and performed
by Sascha Burland and Don Elliott.
Burland is really Granville Burland,
an executive of the McCann-Erickson
advertising agency. The two came up
with the idea while working on an advertising jingle.
Sol Yaged’s quintet, featuring the trumpet of Charlie
Shavers, is playing jazz concerts every Tuesday night
at Teddy’s Backroom in Jackson Heights . . . Ed Sum-
merlin, young Denton, Texas, jazz composer and a
teacher of music at North Texas State College, has
premiered a new composition. Jazz Music for a Protes-
tant Worship Service, at the Southern Methodist Uni-
versity Perkins Chapel in Dallas. Summerlin was the
musical director of the Gene Hall band that competed
in the finals of the AFM’s Dance Band
Contest...
Stan Rubin, who organized the
Tigertown Five at Princeton Uni-
versity in 1951 and played clarinet
with the band, graduated from Ford-
ham Law School last month. He will
set up practice in New Rochelle, N.Y.
. . . Teddy Wilson recorded the first
jazz version of the Ethel Merman hit
musical Gypsy. With him on the date
were Burt Dahlander, drums, and
Ellington
Arvell Shaw, bass. The LP will in- aie
clude one tune that was cut out of the show before it
opened ... The Lennie Tristano group went into the
Half Note for June when Sonny Rollins failed to come
east to open...
Confidential’s August issue carries an article by a
Horton Smythe that purports to tell of the late Charlie
Parker’s sex life. The picture identified as the famed
Baroness Rothschild de Koenigswarter is actually a
photo of her daughter. . .
They had a party for Red Allen to celebrate his six
solid years at the Metropole. The party was at the
Copper Rail, across the street from the Metropole. It is
where the musicians spend their time when not on the
stand ... Buck Clayton, in a card from the Basin Street
Club in Toronto, said business there was great . .
Pianist Bobby Scott and the Mitchell-Ruff Duo have
(Continued on Page 43)
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July 9, 1959
Down Beat
music news
Vol. 26, No. 14
NATIONAL
The Reds and Dr. Stearns
The sleek rented Cadillac swept
smoothly up the highway toward
Wilton, Conn. Destination: a Duke
Ellington concert at Wilton high
school. The passengers: a Soviet cul-
tural delegation led by 65-ish N. N.
Danilov, deputy Minister of culture
of the U.S.S.R.; and distinguished
writer-teacher Marshall Stearns.
Stearns’ purpose: to convince the
Russians that jazz should be part of
the American exhibit at the Moscow
Fair this summer
He talked eagerly and anxiously,
through an interpreter, about the
subject to which he has devoted his
life. But the indifference of the Rus-
sians was a formidable obstacle, and
Stearns’ ardor faded.
“Man,” he said later, “it was like
trying to explain a transistor to a
cave man.
At Wilton it was worse. Such was
the Russian reaction to Ellington
that Stearns felt as though his “fav-
orite child had been spit upon.”’ The
entire delegation rose, in established
Soviet style, and walked out of the
concert at the intermission. Did
Stearns follow? “Hell no,” he said.
“You can't leave Duke's playing
when there is more to come.”
This cultural impasse was the cul-
mination of attempts to send a true
representation of the American cul-
ture to the Moscow Fair, which runs
from July 25 to Sept. 5 in the Soviet
capital’s Sokolniki Park. The Ameri-
can exhibit will have its counterpart
in a Russian exhibit at New York's
Coliseum between June 28 and Aug.
10.
Detailed planning for the ex-
change got under way in April, when
the U.S. State Department in Wash-
ington received members of the
Soviet Ministry of Culture. State De-
partment brass decided to have the
Russians visit New York to see sam-
ples of the American entertainment
arts for themselves. Stearns was the
man picked to show them jazz.
With the help of Irving Town-
send of Columbia records, Stearns
set up the Wilton trip. He found the
Russians pleasant enough, and they
dropped witticisms in the approved
fashion of present-day Soviet diplo-
macy. But toward jazz they had
closed minds. When Stearns told
ED SULLIVAN
who'll take a light-bulb spitter
them that the musicians were im-
provising, the Russians reflected
their lack of belief in individual
creativity by saying flatly: ‘““Not so.”
When the delegation returned to
Washington, the Russians not only
rejected jazz as part of the American
exhibit, but turned down Jerome
Robbins Ballets USA, hit of the
Brussels World’s Fair last year. They
found it too jazzy.
If the Russians blocked jazz on
the one hand, there is evidence that
U.S. officialdom didn’t fight too hard
for it on the other.
The American entertainment pack-
age is being organized by Ed Sulli-
van. When Sullivan's office was asked
about the lack of jazz in it, spokes-
man Gene Schrott said: “This is to
be a cultural exchange. They want
So They Say
Marshall Stearns, of an attempt
to explain jazz to a Russian cul-
tural delegation: “Like trying to
explain a transistor to a_ cave
man,” Page 9
Billie Holiday: “Some damn
body is always trying to embalm
me.” Page 10
Leith Stevens of Louis Arm-
strong’s work in “The Five Pen-
nies’: “Louis hasn’t sounded this
good in 20 years.” Page 22
a high-type of ‘typical American’ en-
tertainment, not an intellectual pro-
gram.
What was the “high-type” pro-
gram Sullivan had set up for the
Russians to see as “typical” of Ameri-
can entertainment?
A troupe of novelty snake dancers,
saucer-spinners and tightrope walk-
ers, some accordion and harmonica
music, one opera star (Robert Mer-
rill of the Met), three girl singers,
a man who spits out lighted electric
bulbs—and Ed Sullivan. He was also
looking for some Hawaiian tap
dancers.
Needless to say, Sullivan was soon
under fire for the package, which
had about as much validity as cul-
ture as the cluttered TV potpourri
on which he appears every Sunday
night. One man, however, defended
him: Joe Glaser, head of Associated
Booking Corp. and manager of Louis
Armstrong. Glaser said the frozen-
faced emcee had done “everything in
his power” to get the Russians to
accept Armstrong as part of the
show.
Whether Sullivan had done any-
thing whatever for modern jazz re-
mained one of the mysteries of the
fiasco.
Through this confused story ran
at least one consistent thread of
criticism: the U.S. State Department,
which San Francisco Chronicle jazz
columnist Ralph Gleason recently
roasted for neglecting jazz. A spokes-
man responded: “We tried very hard
... to interest the (Russian) dele-
gation in jazz. The impact of jazz
on the peoples of other lands is well
known to us. We didn’t offer Louis
Armstrong because he has been try-
ing to make his own arrangements
to play Moscow.”
Yet the question of how hip the
State Department really is remains
an open one. Its officials missed a
good bet by neglecting to book
American jazz into the World Youth
Festival, scheduled to be held July
26-Aug. 4 in Vienna. The Soviet
government thinks enough of the
festival to budget $4,000,00 for it.
As a result, the anti-Communist op-
position in Vienna says it has been
steam-rollered, and that the festival
will now be a perfect platform for
Communist propaganda.
Some critics of the State Depart-
ment, however, tempered their an-
July 9, 1959 © 9
noyance with that body by remem-
bering how meager the funds are
that Congress will allocate for cul-
tural exports. The Congressional
attitude to money-for-culture is no-
torious among show people, who are
well aware of how such exports help
offset the impression of America cre-
ated by sport-shirted tourists and
saber-rattling politicians. The Con-
gressional attitude, perhaps best de-
scribed as simply chintzy, was given
recent illustration when Representa-
tive John J. Rooney of Brooklyn
blew his top because Jack Teagar-
den’s recent (and very successful)
tour of the orient had cost $102,000,
instead of the estimated $66,350.
One Congressman, however,
seemed to be aware of the value of
culture in general and jazz in par-
ticular. Said Rep. Joseph Holt of
California: “The State Department
ought to drive a harder bargain. We
shouldn’t take one of their trade
missions unless they take a jazz mis-
sion.
Holt’s seemed a very small voice
in the wilderness.
Would They Dig It?
One important question is this:
just how much would the Russians
like jazz if they could get it?
The evidence is that they are al-
ready getting it—through bootleg
discs taped from such sources as
Voice of America and Radio Tangier
—and that they like it fine. The
people are evidently hip to the point
where Russia has its own hippies and
beatniks to puzzle over.
Composer Ulysses Kay, who spent
a month in Russia last winter, felt
that Russian knowledge of jazz was
frozen at the 1940s level. One Rus-
sian composer played Duke Elling-
ton’s ‘A’ Train for him at the piano,
but that seemed about as far as he
could go.
But New York Post columnist
Leonard Lyons, in Moscow three
years ago when the American Porgy
and Bess company visited there,
overheard a debate between Porgy
orchestra trumpeter Junior Mignott
and a Russian trumpeter—over the
comparative merits of Louis Arm-
strong and Dizzy Gillespie. The Rus-
sian was for Diz.
A group of Polish musicians who
visited Moscow earlier this year
brought back stories of a jazz group
led by Nikolai Kapustin. It was un-
der a heavy influence of Gerry Mul-
ligan and Short Rogers.
And finally, when the Bolshoi Bal-
let visited America recently, its mem-
bers were reported taking home stag-
gering armfuls of jazz records.
Why, then, have the Russians
turned jazz down
10 ¢ DOWN BEAT
THE WINNER AND STILL CHAMPEEN ...
When John Birks Gillespie played the Preview lounge in Chicago recently, a couple of impromptu
games spread the word that Dizzy is a crackerjack chess player, and soon he had games with
customers scheduled through every intermission.
Here, playing Down Beat managing editor
Eugene Lees, he is winning hands down. But the young man waiting his turn in the background
is a tougher opponent: Gordon Dunham, member and ex-officer of the Chicago Chess Club, who
is rated “expert” by the U.S. Chess Club.
To begin with, Russia has a long
tradition of looking on music as
politically meaningful. In Caarist
days, Sibelius’ Finlandia was banned
as inflammatory (Finland was then
under Russian rule) . In Communist
times, the attitude got worse, not
better, and various Soviet composers
—Prokofiev the most famous case
among them — have had their
knuckles rapped for deviation from
officially-approved approaches to
music,
The State Department believes
that the Russian turn-down was
made because of, not in spite of, the
popularity of jazz in Russia, though
the officially-stated position of the
Russians seems to be that “jazz is
not representative of the American
culture.” Besides that, there is an
official Russian campaign to connect
jazz with hooliganism.
Summed up Marshall Stearns af-
ter his encounter with the Russians:
“It was a brutal emotional experi-
ence... I had a definite feeling they
were acting on orders from higher
up.
The question Stearns could not
answer was that old _ philosophic
poser: how high is up?
Nobody in official Washington
seemed interested in such abstracts.
And, perhaps saddest of all, nobody
— except Representative Holt —
seemed to have gone on record as
concerned by the fact that the Rus-
sians have been sending their cul-
tural best to the U.S., while the most
vigorous product of the American
culture remains strictly on this side
of the Iron Curtain.
Billie's Blues
In the troubled life of Lady Day,
it was some sort of new low.
Hospitalized with serious liver and
heart conditions after distasteful
hassles with two New York insti-
tutions (see Hot Box, facing page) ,
she was under medical treatment
when police charged her with pos-
session of narcotics—in her hospital
room.
Her attorney and her biographer
claimed she had freed herself of the
drug habit, and the singer said that
a package containing heroin that a
nurse took from her had been in the
bottom of her purse for some time.
The police were investigating the
possibility that the package had
been brought to her, but for Billie
it was a moot point—along with the
question of whether she was free of
narcotics addiction or not. The mere
possession of drugs is an offense, and
police said she would be taken to
the confinement ward of Bellevue
Hospital as soon as her condition
permitted.
Forty-four years old now and bro-
ken in health, Billie Holiday— one
of the greatest singers jazz ever pro-
duced—was giving sad _ illustration
of what Shakespeare meant by “the
law’s delay.”’ Or, in this case, its
utter failure to face an_ issue:
whether the use of narcotics is to
continue indefinitely to be handled
as a crime, or treated (as it is in
England) as the grave social and
physical illness it so obviously is.
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—
How Death Came Near for Lady Day
Ed note: Down Beat’s New York editor wrote the
following Hot Box when, in his own words, he. was
“upset and angry.” Later, he suggested that it might
need “toning down.” But the anger it contains ts
honest anger, of a kind too rarely heard these days,
and there is in it the sound of pain that you some-
times hear in the best blues. Therefore it is printed
in tts entirety.
You scared people, you who are worried about
atomic energy and the Buck Rogers world we are
approaching, face it: you could be killed walking
across an intersection, with or without the light.
You beatniks, you sad commentaries on life, you
people who can’t find anything to live for. Go to
kindergarten.
The New York papers—front page yet, in the
Hearst press—had headlines: “Singer Billie Holiday
Is Dying.”
To some of us, they were talking about “our
girl,” our non-expendable Billie. And what was
Billie doing while such a sensational report made
some expendable reporter look good in the eyes
of his boss?
She was sitting up in a room at Metropolitan
Hospital, talking to William Dufty of the New
York Post. She said to him: “Some damn body is
always trying to embalm me. .. . They'll call this
another comeback, and I’ve been nowhere but
across town.”
Dufty, who wrote Billie’s biography, Lady Sings
the Blues, was checking out what had happened,
the things that led up to the headlines. What he
found out will give you conformists, and your oppo-
sites, the beatniks, something to worry about be-
sides the filter on your cigaret. Because what hap-
pened to Billie could conceivably happen to you,
It’s the system, and believe me, living right ain’t
gonna immunize anybody. A medical student once
told me: “What scares me is actually how little the
doctors know.”
Billie had been sick. She’s had problems with both
dope and alcohol. That we all know. This kind of
problem is real and imminent. It is not like a future
hydrogen bomb, or worries about how to get out
of taking over a Boy Scout troop, which your com-
pany thinks you should do (if you don’t want to
get fired) because it believes in “community serv-
ice.”
Billie’s problem was much more real than any-
thing like that: she had to be helped on and off
the stage when she sang a benefit at the Phoenix
theater late in May. I received a phone call shortly
afterwards, saying that she needed hospital care.
Now it happens that Billie has a feeling about
hospitals, and it is deeply rooted in experience. She
remembers what happened to her father.
Clarence Holiday played guitar in many a good
jazz band. He was with Louis Armstrong, Fletcher
Henderson,. and Don Redman at various times
during the 1920s and 30s. He was in Texas in 1937,
and took sick, real sick. Ten hospitals, give or take
a couple, (what difference does it make when a
human life is at stake?) didn’t admit him. You
see, he was in a part of America that doesn’t want
to live like the rest of us.
It was finally proven that Holiday was a World
War I veteran, and he was admitted to a ward in
a veteran's hospital. There he died—from waiting.
But things have changed, you say? It wouldn't
happen today?
Billie wouldn’t agree.
She was under the care of Dr. Eric Caminer, At
2 p.m. on Sunday, May 31, she collapsed as Frankie
Freedom, a young singing hopeful and her protege,
was serving her custard and oatmeal, as prescribed
by her doctor. She went into a coma after fighting
against going to the hospital.
Dr. Caminer made arrangements for her to be
admitted to Knickerbocker Hospital and called a
police ambulance. In New York, you can’t get
hauled to a hospital without going through the
Police Department, unless you want to pay $25
for the trip. At those rates they could haul you
to Buffalo.
Freedom rode the emergency ambulance to
Knickerbocker, and waited while Billie lay on a
stretcher for more than an hour before any medical
attention at all was given to her.
According to reporter Bill Dufty, records at the
hospital say Miss Holiday was admitted at 3:40
p-m. After diagnosis as a case of “drug addiction
and alcoholism” she was put in another ambulance
and taken to the Metropolitan Hospital in Harlem,
a city institution.
In the meantime, Dr. Caminer was on his way
to Knickerbocker. When he got there, of course,
Billie was gone. So he started for Metropolitan.
He knew Billie was in serious trouble with a heart
and liver condition.
Dr. Caminer finally arrived at Metropolitan at
5:30 p.m. He found his patient lying on a stretcher
in the hall, unconscious, unattended, and still not
hospitalized as the cardiac emergency she was. When
he asked for the doctor in charge, he was told: “He
went to dinner.”
Dr. Caminer immediately had Billie put into an
oxygen tent. There was no question of racial dis-
crimination involved, sounding to Caminer, for
about half the patients and much of the staff at
Metropolitan is Negro. “It might have happened
to anybody,” he said. Nobody at either hospital
apparently knew that the patient was the Lady Day.
She was registered as Eleanora McKay, which is her
married name. (She is married to her manager,
Louis McKay.)
“The hospital people,” Dufty said, “apparently
thought it was dirty pool for a big star to come in
like a Harlem housewife.”
On Wednesday, June 3, Metropolitan Hospital
officials confirmed the original diagnosis of Dr.
Caminer that Billie’s illness had no connection
with drugs. After 72 hours in the hospital, she had
shown no symptoms of withdrawal, corroborating
newspaperman Dufty’s claim that Billie is “straight.”
Not too long afterwards, she was sitting up talk-
ing to Dufty. A long way from dead, she was think-
ing about the work she has to do, recording the
sound track of the film they are going to make,
based on her life story, this summer.
You can see why she’s not very fond of hospitals.
Think about it for a while. -GEORGE HOEFER
July 9, 1959
Copniks Cooled...
New Yorkers who read about it
in their daily newspapers smiled:
Surely the much-criticized system
of issuing police identity cards to
entertainers had now demonstrated
—and ludicrously—that it was in-
equitable.
Causing the smiles were three beat-
nik poets and Deputy Police Com-
missioner Walter Arm. The police,
it seemed, had issued summonses to
three Greenwich Village Coffee
houses because the beatnik poets
reading their wares there hadn't
obtained the-identity cards.
Despite the legitimate amusement
of people in show business over the
incident, there was a serious under-
tone to the incident—above and _ be-
yond the issue of whether the police
have the right to license musicians or
anyone else before they can make
a living. (Down Beat, June 25.)
Now, in effect, the police were claim-
ing the right to issue licenses to a
man to talk.
Whether it was the laughter or
the seriousness of the event that
changed Deputy Commissioner
Arm’s heart, no one knew. But he
announced that no new Cases against
beatnik poetry sessions would be
taken, though the three already
started would be continued. Show-
ing that he was not entirely humor-
less himself, Arm hipped the _ hip-
sters thusly.
Technically, a beatnik spouting
poetry is an entertainer under law,
But though in violation, to the cop
he’s just a bore.
He can talk throughout the night if
he doesn’t incite a riot,
We hope he keeps talking till- his
audience yells for quiet.
Given that much cause for out-
rage, the beatnik poets seemed cer-
tain to retaliate with a few well-
aimed verses about the long Arm
of the law.
Found: One Girl Singer
“She has,” said Maynard Ferguson
of Annie Marie Moss, “a blues style
that reminds me of Joe Williams.”
The trumpeter bandleader was
talking about the girl he has hired
to replace singer Irene Kral (sister
of Roy), who left the band more
than a year ago to go out on her own.
Annie Marie, like Ferguson, is a
Canadian. She is in her twenties.
She came to the rising young musi-
cian’s attention through her work
in early June on the Timex jazz
12 © DOWN BEAT
HISTORIC EXHIBIT IN BOSTON
The trumpet seen here is that of Leon (Bix) Beiderbecke, and viewing it are Thomas J. Manning,
chief of the Boston Public Library's exhibits office; Mrs. Foster Furculo, wife of the governor of
Massachusetts, and the Rev. Norman O'Connor, CSP, Boston University. The trumpet was lent by
Beiderbecke's sister, and the exhibit—which is in the Boston library building—is to promote
the Newport Jazz Festival, which starts July 2.
show that the Canadian Broadcasting
Corp. carried from Toronto. (It
fared better, critically, than its Amer-
ican counterparts also sponsored by
Timex.)
Annie Marie’s first assignment
with the band: a one-week date at
Pep’s in Philadelphia. Second as-
signment: the Newport jazz festival
on the afternoon of July 3. Come
fall, she'll be off with the Ferguson
band on a tour of Europe.
School of Jazz 1959
With plans completed for the third
yearly sessions at the School of jazz
in Lenox, Mass., three names were
conspicuous by their absence and
four by their presence.
Gone from the list of faculty mem-
bers were Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar
Peterson, and Ray Brown. Conflict-
ing engagements prevented their par-
ticipation. New on the list were
Boston bandleader and_ Berklee
School of Music instructor Herb
Pomeroy, pianist Bill Evans, and
Gunther Schuller, composer and
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
French Horn player.
Evans will help the school’s execu-
tive director, John Lewis, with piano
students. Schuller will teach a course
in The Analytical History of Jazz,
newly added to the curriculum.
These faculty members are re-
turning this year: Lewis, Percy
Heath, bass; Jim Hall, guitar; Max
Roach, drums and small ensemble;
Bob Brookmeyer, trombone; Jimmy
Giuffre, saxophone, clarinet and
small ensemble; Milt Jackson, vibra-
harp; Kenny Dorham, trumpet; Bill
Russo, theory and composition;
George Russell, theory and jazz com-
position; and Marshall Stearns, who
will again teach his History of Jazz
course. Twenty visiting lecturers,
who will participate in panel dis-
cussions in the evenings, will aug-
ment the faculty.
The classes will be held from Aug.
9 to 30 at the Music Inn at Lenox.
* * *
When the classes open, seven
youths who won the F. & M. Schaefer
Brewing Company’s first Intercol-
legiate Jazz Scholarship contest will
be in attendance. Selected from
among 11 finalists auditioned in
New York were:
John Keyser, Arlington, Va., bass;
Tony Greenwald, New York City,
trumpet; Ian Underwood, Rye, N.Y.,
flute; Herb Gardner, Winchester,
Mass., trombone and composition;
Paul Cohen, Harrisburg, Pa., drums;
Steve Kuhn, Chestnut Hill, Mass.,
piano; and David Mackay, Boston,
piano. They represent Princeton,
Yale, Harvard, Pennsylvania, and
Boston universities. Yale and Har-
vard had two winners each.
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Boston Jazz Festival
The first Boston Jazz Festival,
sponsored by the Sheraton Hotel
system and produced by George
Wein, has stolen some of the thun-
der from the Boston Arts Festival,
held earlier this summer.
In former years such attractions
as Herb Pomeroy’s big band, Jap-
anese jazz pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi,
Cannonball Adderley, and a band of
all stars led by George Wein, have
been major presentations on an eve-
ning devoted to jazz at the Arts
Festival. One year, Pomeroy’s pre-
sentation of the Living History of
Jazz, with WHDH’s John McLellan,
drew 16,000 persons. This year, how-
ever, there has been no announce-
ment of jazz activity, beyond a jazz
program sometime during the three
weeks.
The Sheraton Hotel-sponsored fes-
tival, at the Boston Red Sox’ 35,000-
capacity Fenway Park, will offer some
big names in jazz, although its dates
(Aug. 21, 22 and 23) conflict with
the giant Randall’s Island Festival in
New York City.
The three-day Boston event will
have Duke Ellington’s orchestra, the
Modern Jazz Quartet, the Stan Ken-
ton orchestra, the Oscar Peterson
trio, Sarah Vaughan, Thelonious
Monk, and the Four Freshmen.
An added highlight will be the
awarding of jazz scholarships to four
New England high school students
“with outstanding qualifications and
interests in the jazz idiom.”
Applicants for the scholarships,
which will apply at the Berklee
School of Music in Boston, may write
or apply at the school. Judges will
be George Wein, Marshall Brown,
and Robert Share of Berklee.
The finalists will compete in a
morning session at the festival and
the two top winners will be given
full-tuition scholarships. Two run-
ners-up will receive half-tuition
scholarships. The two top winners
will be featured at one of the final
concerts of the Festival.
Dixieland Track
Plans are being made to serve up
Dixieland jazz to race track fans
during the forthcoming season at
Saratoga Springs, New York.
The festival will take place in the
evening on the grounds of the track.
The Saratoga Springs Chamber of
Commerce is sponsoring the affair
and has assigned Elaine Lorillard
as “personnel coordinator.’” The
theory is that the older race track
crowd will appreciate the steaming
Dixie of a Wild Bill Davison or a
Pee Wee Russell more than cool
sounds, even on a hot August night.
MIDWEST
Tracy to Chess
“I was very happy at Mercury.
Very happy.”
Thus Jack Tracy spiked rumors
that he had been discontented in his
slot as jazz artists and repertoire
director for Mercury records, and
that the discontent was behind his
unexpected move to the Chess label
and its affiliates.
“The new job offers more scope,”
said Tracy, who is now album ar
man for all of his new employer's
three labels, Chess, Checker, and
Argo. Additional temptation, accord-
ing to persistent reports: a salary
increase that was too much to turn
down.
Ex-Down Beat editor Tracy fin-
ished up editing his tapes for Mer-
cury and moved late in June into
his new office which, like his old
one at Mercury, is in Chicago.
Hal Mooney was considered the
most likely successor to Tracy, which
would mean that Mercury’s jazz
a&r center would shift to New York.
Final Bar: Sharon Pease
When the boogie-woogie fad hit
America, Sharon Pease was in a good
position to profit by it: he under-
stood it as few other teachers of
piano did.
Writer of a column on piano in
Down Beat for more than 15 years
(almost from the magazine’s begin-
ning 25 years ago), Pease wrote a
famous article titled J Watched Pine-
top Spit Blood for the magazine. A
superlative teacher though only a
middling performer himself, Pease
had a studio in the Lyon-Healy
Building in Chicago, taught count-
less boogie fans to play it, and wrote
folios on the style that sold hugely
across the country.
Ten years ago, Pease gave up his
column, gave up his studio, and
moved to Phoenix, Ariz., in the hope
that his wife would find relief from
her asthma there. And in Phoenix
earlier this month, Sharon Pease,
fiftyish and bespectacled, died. He
was buried in his home town of Wa-
pello, Iowa, a town so small that even
fellow Iowan Ned Williams—editor
of Down Beat during Pease’s time—
doesn’t know where it is.
Williams and many others remem-
ber Pease as the man who turned to
blue shirts long before television
made them a show business necessity.
“White shirts somehow made him
look ill,” Williams says, “so he never
owned one.” ’
Pease is remembered, too, as a man
with a sense of humor, who was even
amused by the confusion his name
caused. One of the favorite Pease
stories concerned the landlord of the
building in which he had his studio.
Though he had been there many
years, the owner had never met him
and evidently knew nothing about
him. One day a letter arrived. It
began:
“Dear Miss Pease: We are pleased
to inform you that the ladies’ room
on your floor of the building has
been rennovated and. . .”
U. S. A. WEST
Pete Kelly Blew
Those who enjoy the Roaring
Twenties brand of jazz that is heard
on Pete Kelly’s Blues had better keep
their eyes glued to every show: the
series will be dropped after its initial
13-week run.
Some _ well-known elders among
west coast jazz musicians have been
playing the show. Most of them, in-
deed, are old enough (average age:
43) to remember well the era in
which the Pete Kelly stories are set.
Dick Cathcart, originally from In-
diana, has, of course, been playing
the cornet part that seems to emanate
from the horn held by actor Wil-
liam Reynolds (providing, of course,
that you don’t watch the fingering
too carefully) . Cathcart, who was in-
fluenced in his playing by the late
Bix Beiderbecke, is also music direc-
tor for the series. He is actually the
eighth member of the Pete Kelly
“seven”.
Matty Matlock, 50, former ar-
ranger and clarinetist with Bob
Crosby’s Dixieland band during the
late 1930s and early 40s, plays clar-
inet on the track and acts as con-
ductor of the combo. He is occasion-
ally seen on-camera. New Orleans-
born tenor saxophonist Eddie Miller
is also a Crosby alumnus.
Moe Schneider, 40, is featured on
trombone. The rhythm section in-
cludes drummer Nick Fatool, 44,
guitarist George Van Eps, 46, and
bassist Jud DeNaut, 44. The young-
ster of the group is pianist Ray Sher-
man, 36, a former Milwaukeean.
The Big Seven was actually assem-
bled by producer Jack Webb 10
years ago, for a radio series—called,
not surprisingly, Pete Kelly’s Blues.
The group and the title got another
go-around in 1954, when Webb made
a movie about his fictional cornet
player.
Musicians have expressed doubts
about the good the latest Pete Kelly
series might do for jazz. With Pete
July 9, 1959 © 13
PIONEER'S BLOWING
The soprano saxophonist is Don Redman, who first made his impact on jazz writing in the 1920s, yet
is blowing vigorously today. Redman was photographed during a recording session by the Knights
of the Roundtable for Roulette. Others on the session were clarinetist Buster Bailey (in background),
Taft Jordan, Yank Lawson, Moe Wechsler and Cutty Cutshall.
constantly mixed up with gangsters
and assorted seedy types, and getting
knocked on the head by various of
them, the show seems unlikely to
convince the American mother that
jazz is a good thing for her offspring
to be interested in.
Why is the show going off the air?
Said one musician: “Oh man, have
you seen those plots?”
Loyalty Oath Outcome
In the midst of the lengthy strike
last year by AFM studio musicians
against the major motion picture
producers, the question of drawing
strike benefits became a major issue
among membership of Los Angeles’
Local 47.
What should have been a simple
matter of payment of benefits on ap-
plication became complicated for
some members by a federation-im-
posed declaration of loyalty to the
union that all strikers were required
to sign before they could draw a
penny, (Down Beat, June 12, 1958).
Ultimately, all but two Local 47
members — trombonist Milt Bern-
hart and French hornist Bill Hin-
shaw — signed the declaration, col-
lected their strike benefits and chose
to forget the so-called loyalty oath.
Bernhart and Hinshaw, however, re-
fused to sign and took the matter to
municipal court, where they sued
the union in an attempt to collect
the back pay.
They further took up the matter
with the National Labor Relations
14 ¢ DOWN BEAT
Board and secured a favorable de-
cision leading to an agreement by
the federation and Local 47 to pay
damages to the two rebels for loss
of earnings suffered by them. The
referee in the dispute, Benjamin
Aaron, ruled in favor of Bernhart
and Hinshaw and decided they were
within their rights to take the issue
to court.
Three weeks ago, the AFM struck
back. The federation _ rejected
Aaron's findings, dismissed the ref-
eree and sentenced Bernhart and
Hinshaw to a two-year suspension
from the union as well as imposing
a fine of $2,500 on each.
Considered by many as basic to
the situation of charge, counter-
charge, and reprisal, is the fact that
both musicians are members of the
Musicians Guild of America. Hin-
shaw, who was expelled from _ the
AFM last vear, is a board member
of the rival organization.
Bernhart refuses to pay what he
considers an unjust fine, still con-
siders himself an AFM member and
still pushes for payment of more
than $900 in back pay. While he may
work in the major motion picture
studios, which come under MGA
contract, the suspension rules out
certain other work opportunities.
Meanwhile, he said, *. .. the only
future for us lies in the courts.”
Rich Vic
Vic Damone, whose career has had
its ups and downs in the last decade,
seems headed for a future so ros\
with loot and continued work thai
he stands to reap about $750,000 in
1959 alone.
For a substantial portion of thi,
amount the singer can thank eve
bountiful Las Vegas, Nev., where h
will play the Flamingo hotel for a
least 34 weeks in the next thre
years. Two contracts signed las
month involve more than $250,001)
for his appearance in that location
Damone will work two monthloneg
engagements at the Flamingo fo:
each of the next two years. He also
inked a_ three-year pact with thi
Mapes hotel in Reno, Nev., for two
three-week stints a year.
Damone also will play summe:
stock in The Great Waltz at the Star
light theater in Kansas City, Mo.,
following which he will appear in
the Carousel theater's production o!
Oklahoma in Framingham, Mass.
Now appearing at the Arena Club
in Pittsburgh, Pa., Damone is set
for a spot on the Garry Moore tele
vision show June 30 and will be one
of the headliners at the Holly-
wood Bowl’s Jimmy McHugh Night
Sept. 5.
The Bowl's Biggest Season
Since it opened in 1922, the Holly-
wood Bowl traditionally has oper-
ated every summer for only eight con-
secutive weeks. Through the years,
moreover, this vast outdoor concert
arena in the lap of the Hollywood
Hills has opened its portals to an
increasing number of non-classical
artists.
For its 38th season, which com-
mences July 2, the Bow] will operate
for a precedent-setting 10 week peri-
od during which artists ranging from
Herbert von Karajan to Mahalia
Jackson and Ella Fitzgerald will be
presented.
Opening the season, von Karajan,
“the Musikdirektor of Europe,” will
conduct the Los Angeles Philhar-
monic orchestra, to be followed July
3. and 4 by a Lerner and Loewe
night with Johnny Green on the po-
dium.
Other highspots of the season in-
clude a Gershwin night July 18 with
the Andre Kostelanetz orchestra; pi-
ano soloist Andre Previn; Ella Lee,
and the Bowick singers. The evening
of July 24 belongs to Ella Fitzgerald,
and on Aug. 7, gospel singer Mahalia
Jackson will be assisted by the Bo-
wick singers in a program of Songs
of Faith. A Night With Meredith
Willson is programmed for Aug. 15,
and the evening of Aug. 21 is devoted
to Nat Cole and the orchestra of Nel-
son Riddle.
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Welk Signs Again
By the time the ink was dry, it
was evident that the Lawrence Welk
bandwagon, far from outwearing its
welcome on national _ television,
never had been more mobile.
The champagne music maestro
last month sewed up a new dual deal
with the Dodge division of the
Chrysler Corp. and the American
Broadcasting Co. In addition to this
exclusive deal for both radio and
telecasting, the bubble-maker also
signed a separate agreement with
ABC covering five more years.
Welk’s new contract with Dodge
and ABC tied down the format for
future televised champagne sessions
by the Welkians. Henceforth, the
bandleader will concentrate all his
TV activities on one program a
week, the reliable Dodge Dancing
Party, a staple of Saturday night
televiewing for five years.
W. D. Moore, advertising director
of Dodge, summed up the situation
when he said: “We are _ highly
pleased with the excellent audience
and sponsor-identification rating the
Welk show has received. But we are
even more pleased by the many com-
ments we have received direct from
Dodge dealers, who report that the
Welk show is selling cars.”
Live TV Music Growth
With live music on the increase
in television films, probably the
busiest Hollywood studio emphasiz-
ing non-canned soundtrack is Revue
Productions, the television arm of
Music Corp. of America.
According to Stanley Wilson, mu-
sic director of Revue, scoring tele-
films has now reached a peak of 36
recording hours a week, with a mini-
mum of 11 teleshows now in prep-
aration for fall debut on all net-
works.
Significantly, 99 percent of the mu-
sic heard in these shows, Wilson
stressed, will be original work fol-
lowing no previously set trend. He
credits Revue executives with con-
cluding that live and original music
is indispensible to the success of a
teleseries, and points to Hank Man-
cini’s work in Peter Gunn as the
most graphic example of this.
Nor is the turn to live music a
flash in the pan, Wilson added. As
evidence of a marked expansion of
the studio’s music department, he
pointed out that, besides himself,
there now are nine other composers
employed by Revue alone.
Next fall’s shows range from the
60-minute series, Riverboat, with a
symphonic underscore composed by
Elmer Bernstein, to the weekly Gen-
eral Electric Theater programs,
which will be scored according to
the story lines utilized.
Other shows in the works at Revue
include Staccato, which will have a
Bernstein score and a_private-eye
story; Johnny Midnight, with music
by Jerry Fried, and M Squad, for
which Benny Carter, John T. Wil-
liams, and Wilson are composing.
INTERNATIONAL
The Surprised Viking
Iceland is a strange land with
much rock and lichens and a secret
volcanic heart that keeps it warmer
than its far-north position would
suggest.
But still, it is not a very fertile
country, and, in the 10th Century,
after Erik the Red’s father died, Erik
got fed up with scratching a living
out of the farm he had in the north,
sold out, and went south to win an-
other farm in a Dark Ages equival-
ent of the crap game.
But that led to trouble: in a fight
over water rights and related mat-
ters, Erik killed a neighbor, and was
ALTOIST INGOLFSSON
finally run out of Iceland by an in-
dignant jury. He discovered Green-
land and his son, Lief Erikson, sailed
to America, landing not far from
what is now Boston. (The exact lo-
cation is unknown.)
Ten centuries later, jazz was
having as much trouble sinking roots
in Iceland as Erik did, but when it
did take, it was as individualistic as
the best tradition of Erik would de-
mand: since there are no big bands
in Iceland, every musician is virtual-
ly forced to express himself as a solo-
ist. All the jazz is modern, since tra-
ditional and Dixic!:nd jazz never did
catch on in Icela..c.
One of the best-known young mod-
erns in Iceland is a Lee Konitz-in-
fluenced alto player named Andres
Ingolfsson, who was born 23 years
ago. He started playing clarinet in
a high school combo when he was
17, but switched to alto sax three
years later to take his first profes-
sional job. He was soon one of the
most sought-after musicians in Ice-
land for concerts and jam-sessions.
He played two years with a quintet
that attracted considerable attention,
and eventually toured Germany with
it. When the band came home, An-
dres set up a group of his own that
included, besides his alto, vibes, gui-
tar, piano, bass and drums. Last
winter, the island’s best-known band-
leader, Kristjan Krisjansson, experi-
mented with a Dave Pell-like group
in which Andres played tenor — and
soon became a leading soloist on that
instrument too.
A friend suggested to Andres that
he apply for a Down Beat scholar
ship to attend the Berklee School of
Jazz.
He was reluctant to do it. An-
dres said: ‘““There are probably thou-
sands of young musicians in America
who have had more and better op-
portunities to study jazz by listening
to the top musicians. They have jazz
concerts and jazz on radio and tele-
vision...”
Besides, Andres is more or less self-
taught; there are few teachers in Ice-
land for the woodwind instruments.
But he sent his application and
a tape of his playing, albeit without
much hope.
Last month (Down Beat, June 11)
it was announced that Andres had
won the top $800 scholarship for
Berklee. Thus it is that this fall
he will follow the route of forefather
Leif Erikson—to Boston.
Said Andres: “I am just surprised.”
Ambassador Nat Returns
Nat Cole, “the best good-will am-
bassador the U.S.A. has sent” to
South America, according to Brazil-
ian President Juscelino Kubitschek,
returned to his Los Angeles home
last month. He had completed a
six-week swing through six countries,
during which he appeared before
more than 1,000,000 persons and
sang at the formal opening of Rio
DeJaneiro’s new opera house, at the
invitation of Brazil's president.
Cole said the U.S. State Depart-
ment should co-ordinate its activities
throughout the world with well-
known entertainers. He cited the
example set by Russia in sending to
this country the Moiseyev dancers
and Bolshoi ballet troupe.
July 9, 1959 © 15
“I know you can’t run the world
on music alone,” Cole said, “but it
plays a tremendous part in giving
people the opportunity to forget dif-
ferences between countries. Music
offers a common ground for the ex-
change of ideas and cultures.”
A curious crowd in Caracas, Ven-
ezucla, pressing against the singer’s
car on the same streets where Vice
President Richard Nixon was stoned,
constituted one of the trip’s high
points, Cole caid.
“When I saw all those people
squeezing in on our car,” he recalled,
“I was glad they were on my side.”
In addition to his wife, Maria; his
manager, Carlos Gastel; Capitol a&r
men Dave Cavanaugh and Lee Gil-
lette, and sound engineer Louis Val-
entin, Cole took his trio, consisting
of John Collins, guitar; Charlie
Harris, bass, and Lee Young, drums.
“We hit Buenos Aires in the mid-
dle of a big strike, and John Collins
got caught in the middle of a tear-
gas riot,” the entertainer said. “He
ducked into a shoe shop, and that’s
how he came to buy a pair of Ar-
gentinian shoes.”
South American musicians, on the
whole, do not compare favorably
with their U.S. counterparts, accord-
ing to Cole. “A couple of spots were
particularly bad,” he recalled, “like
Lima, Peru, and Santiago, Chile.
But there was a great band in
Buenos Aires. We really had a ball
there.” One object of the trip was
to record an album using South
American musicians.
The singer said the South Amer-
ican press seemed particularly inter-
ested in his views on the racial situ-
ation in the United States. “I didn’t
duck their questions,” he said. “I
told them that there certainly were
problems, but we're doing every-
thing we can to work them out. The
best example I could give was my-
self. I’m a Negro, but I’m doing all
right.”
Jazzmen Abroad
With U.S. jazzmen turning up on
foreign sites as much as junketing
these were the latest
this summer's travel-
congressmen,
on the list of
lers:
¢ Chet Baker, who will represent
America at Belgium’s first jazz fes-
tival. The Festival International de
Jazz 1959 is scheduled to be held
Aug. 2 in a football field in the vil-
lage of Comblain-la-Tour.
¢ John Mehegan, jazz pianist,
teacher, and critic for the New York
Hevald-Tribune, who is spending the
summer on a concert-lecture tour of
South Africa. His sponsor: the Jazz
16 © DOWN BEAT
THEY'RE HEADING THE RIGHT WAY
Trumpeter Art Farmer and his boss in the Gerry Mulligan group turn back toward the West after
a tourist's walk up to the edge of West Berlin. The massive monument that separates the free part
of Berlin from its Communist counterpart is the historic Brandenburg Gate.
Appreciation Society ol
burg.
¢ John Lewis, Percy Heath, Milt
Jackson and Connie Kay. The Mod-
ern Jazz Quartet is on a 10-concert
tour of Italy.
Each of these scheduled trips
comes complete with foreign color.
The MJQ made two appearances at
the Florence May Festival. It was
the first time a jazz program had
been included in the schedule dur-
ing the 22-year history of the Fes-
tival which, with Salzburg and Edin-
burgh, is considered a major world
musical event.
Johannes-
Mehegan planned to pick up two
native musicians—a drummer and
a bass player—in Johannesburg, then
lecture and play at several South
African Universities. He took along
a motion picture camera and tape
equipment, planning to go into the
back country of Southern Rhodesia
and Buchenland to gather material
for a book on the roots of jazz.
The Belgian festival at which
trumpeter Baker will appear is
actually a benefit. The newspaper
La Meuse Belgiums is co-sponsoring
it- with the producers of a Radio
Liege program called Jazz for All.
A beer company and an airline will
supply the stage, along with chairs
and tents to accommodate the crowd
of 6,000 expected from all ove
Europe.
The village of Comblain is in the
Ardenne mountains, where Ameri-
can troops fought for their lives
against bad weather and a massive
German counter-olfensive toward
the end of World War IIL. Profits of
the jazz festival will go to repair
damage done to Comblain’s church
by the historic struggle.
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woven about the dramatic life story of Red Nichols. Eighteen tracks featuring everything from
Dixieland to new ballads—old standards —new tunes by SYLVIA FINE -— jazzy twenties flavor
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The Brothers Candoli
Pete and Conte invoke their own par-
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By George Hoefer
“My father told me to select a note
and learn to play it to the best of my
ability. When I could play it to my
satisfaction, I could go on to an-
other one.
“I'm still trying to perfect Note
One.”
Thus spoke Ernest Loring Nichols,
better known as “Red.” He had just
returned to New York City after a
20-year absence. There were many
things going for him, but Red _ re-
membered the lessons he got from
his father, a musical disciplinarian
who taught band instruments to the
members of the Utah State Indus-
trial School boys’ band.
Fifty-four years old now, Red had
long since seen the first gray come to
his hair. Yet he looked and acted
like an enthusiast in his twenties.
He was excited about his band and
proud that members of the current
Five Pennies group had an average
age of 50. Besides, he and the boys
had just broken the attendance rec-
ord set by the Dukes of Dixieland
at Morris Levy’s East Side Round-
table. Why shouldn't he be happy?
Yet his realism stayed with him.
“Man,” he said, “I know why the
price offered the Pennies jumped
from $2,000 a week in Los Angeles to
$6,000 in Las Vegas. It wasn't be-
cause I've perfected the playing of
that note.”
He referred, of course, to the
movie based on his life, and knew
that it was the cause of the current
attention,
Red was born in Ogden, Utah, in
1905. His father started him on cor-
net when he was barely big enough
to hold the horn. Red had a uniform
and’ was playing a bugle in his fa-
ther’s youth band in 1909, when he
was four. He had to put in an hour
of practise before breakfast each day
—or there wasn’t any breakfast. By
the time he was six, he was taking
cornet solos with the band on such
melodies as Carnival of Venice.
When he was 12, Red started play-
ing for dances. He was already under
Red Nichols in History...
No One Had Ever Heard Such a Sound
NICHOLS AND THE PENNIES
in 1939, when the peak was past
the influence of the then-new record-
ings by the Original Dixieland Jazz
Band, and he copied Nick La Roc-
ca’s solos note-for-note. Then he be-
gan to improvise passages of his own,
His father—who himself played
clarinet—hated jazz. But he did not
stand in Red’s way, and when a rival
bandleader, a woman named Lillian
Thatcher, offered Red 50 cents a
night more than the two dollars his
father paid him, he was permitted
to go. His father insisted only that
he make no departure from the writ-
Cem NOES. «
A little later, Herbert Clarke, a
famed bandmaster of the day, heard
Red at a concert. Clarke recom-
mended him for a music scholarship
at Culver Military Academy in In-
diana. Red spent the winter of 1918-
19 there. But he learned to smoke
from his classmates, and he was dis-
missed at the end of the first year.
But not before one important thing
happened: Red went to New York
with a musical group from Culver,
and there he heard the Original
Dixieland band in person. Their
performance of Ostrich Walk was
the factor that made him decide to
go into jazz professionally. He still
plays the number.
By 1921, Red was back playing
with his father, in an Ogden theater
pit band. From time to time Red
would run off to the big city, which
for him was Salt Lake City. There
he would sit in with Boyd Senter’s
group at the Louvre Cafe. Senter was
a clarinetist, and a pretty far-out one
for those days, who became noted
for his work in vaudeville. He also
had the distinction of being the late
Glenn Miller’s first boss.
It was at this time that a second
influence came into Nichols’ ken: he
started listening to the Isham Jones
Brunswick records, and, particularly,
the “laughing cornet” of Louis
Panico that was featured on some olf
the numbers, such as Wabash Blues.
Come 1922, a bandleader who had
heard Red in Ogden recommended
him for a job with a dance band out
of Piqua, Ohio, at $50 a week. From
this band, Red went into a group
known as the Syncopating Five (in
1923). Shortly after Red joined it,
the band changed its name to the
Royal Palms Orchestra and followed
Paul Whiteman into the Ambassador
Hotel in Atlantic City.
Besides, Red, the band—an early
co-op group—included Ray Stilson
on C-melody sax; Dusty Rhoades,
drums; Gibb Dutton, clarinet; Chuck
Campbell, trombone; Russell Stubbs,
July 9, 1959 © 19
piano, and Herb Hayworth, banjo.
It was with this band that Red made
his first recording: Toot, Toot,
Tootsie, Goodbye, and Chicago. Each
member of the band paid the record
company (Red doesn’t recall its
name) $25 for the privilege of mak-
ing the records. They each got 25
copies of the disc for promotional
purposes.
While in Atlantic City, Red heard
violinist Joe Venuti and guitarist
Eddie Lang at the Knickerbocker
Hotel, the Scranton Sirens with the
Dorsey brothers, and the Original
Memphis Five, with Phil Napoleon
on trumpet and Miff Mole on trom-
bone. The latter was to have con-
siderable influence on Red in later
years when the two of them haunted
the recording studios, making sides
for almost every label under a my-
riad of band titles, such as Red and
Miff’s Stompers, The Redheads, We
Three, Charleston Chasers, Arkansas
Travelers, Hotsy Totsy Boys, Louisi-
ana Rhythm Kings, and others. But
these were studio groups only, not
the Five Pennies.
Red and Chuck Campbell left the
Royal Palms Orchestra to join John-
ny Johnson’s orchestra in New York.
This is the point (1924) where the
movie version of Red's life, The Five
Pennies, begins.
Johnson eventually helped Red or-
ganize a band of his own at the Pel-
ham Heath Inn in Westchester Coun-
ty. The band comprised Freddy
Morrow, alto saxophone (Morrow
remained with Red up until the
1940s but rarely recorded with him) ;
the late Dudley Fosdick, on mello-
phone; Gerald Finney, piano; Joe
Ziegler, drums; and Joe Venuti, vio-
lin. Red has said it was while he
was playing with this band that he
first began to get the sound and feel-
ing about music that later brought
the Five Pennies recordings to their
fame.
During those early days in New
York, Nichols and the other young
jazz musicians listened a lot to the
great Negro jazz stylists. Red recalls
the Washingtonians at the Kentucky
Club, a cellar speakeasy. Sonny
Greer’s drums were set up in a corner
of the room that was under a side-
walk grating; people were constantly
walking overhead. Red has appreci-
ated and loved Ellington’s music
from that day to this. His current
band plays arrangements of Mood
Indigo, Morning Glory, and other
Ellingtonia.
During this period, Red spent a
good deal of time at Roseland, lis-
tening to the Fletcher Henderson
band in which Louis Armstrong
20 * DOWN BEAT
played cornet. Red and Louis used
to play for each other and exchange
ideas in the musicians’ room down-
stairs.
That same year, Red heard the
Wolverines, with Bix Beiderbecke,
during their famed New York en-
gagement at the Arcadia Ballroom.
He had eriginally heard them in the
midwest in 1922, while on tour with
the Syncopating Five.
Bix was another influence on Red,
and there was, at one time, a lot of
written material by jazz critics claim-
ing Red tried to play like Bix. This
was ridiculous folderol. There is
nothing new under the sun, and
when a musician likes and appreci-
ates another musician’s work, there
is no sin in incorporating some of
it in his own style. Red retained his
own individuality, while having
some of the same lyrical feelings
about horn-playing that Bix did.
The job at Pelham Heath was
drawing to a close, however, along
with this period of Red's life. Finally,
the band ran into trouble: Pelham
Heath’s management didn’t like the
musicians taking 45-minute inter-
missions.
Nichols then moved into New York
proper, and went to work for band-
leader Sam Lanin. Lanin was sympa-
thetic to his aspirations and helped
him set up his first recording groups.
Indeed, one of the earliest of Red’s
small-band recordings was issued by
the old Columbia company as Sam
Lanin’s Redheads. But the Five Pen-
nies were about to come into being.
Drummer Vic Berton thought up
the name. It applied to Red’s main
recording group, whose discs were
done for the Vocalion-Brunswick la-
bel. The label was at that time
owned by the Brunswick-Collender
company. The company manufac-
tured pool tables and allied equip-
ment.
The list of sidemen who worked on
the Five Pennies recordings is impres-
sive. Among them were: Adrian
Rollini, Benny Goodman, Jack
Teagarden, Glenn Miller, Jimmy
and Tommy Dorsey, Artie Schutt,
Eddie Lang, Gene Krupa, Pee Wee
Russell, Mannie Klein, and others.
In 1951, Red said that this—the
years between 1925 and 1930—was
the most important period of his
career. He has since changed his
mind, and is thinking of the future.
But there is no doubting that it was
important, both for jazz and for Red
Nichols.
What conception was behind the
recordings? Who were they aimed
at, the public or the profession?
“We played,” says Red, “for our
fellow musicians, not for the large,
musically -unschooled following,
which we didn’t know existed--or
ever would exist.”
In 1927, Red was offered what was
at that time considered a high honor:
the chance to join the Paul Whiite-
man orchestra. He took it—and left
after about a month because his ¢ lose
friend Miff Mole, who had also heen
invited to join the band, had
clined. Besides, Red was annoyed |
cause Whiteman, flushed with |iis
success, Was not showing up regularly
to front the band. When Whiteman
didn’t show, Henry Busse fronted it,
and Red had to take over Busse’s
part. The experience left him with
a permanent hatred of the cup mute,
Red’s replacement when he lett
the band was Bix Beiderbecke.
Red’s star fell during the Depres-
sion years. He had a big band, and
a good one. Freddie Williamson, now
vice president of Associated Book-
ing Corp., once told this writer:
“That band was musically one of
the best of all time. I could never
understand why it didn’t get more
notice.”
By late 1939, a good many people
had forgotten about Red Nichols.
The movie based on his life points
out accurately that Red left the band
business in 1941, to go to work in
the shipyards at Alameda, California,
and that he didn’t touch his horn
for three years. But the circum-
stances were not quite what they are
in the film. Red’s daughter was at-
tacked by polio, and he may have
had some feelings of guilt about be-
ing away from his family as much as
the musician’s life made necessary.
But he was also thoroughly dis-
gusted with the music business at
this juncture right before World
War II. Red, like many people in
show business, wanted to serve his
country.
But he was back in music by 1944,
‘and since that time he has led a
small combination on the west coast.
The group has worked steadily and
built up a local following. Undoubt-
edly the movie has skyrocketed Red
to his present prominence. But the
comeback of Red Nichols has been
a steady process for the past decade.
Red’s outlook is progressive, and his
music today is hard to classify;
strictly speaking, it is neither New
Orleans, Dixieland, nor swing, and
of course it certainly isn’t Bebop. It
is Red Nichols’ music.
And, with or without the movie, it
was bound to command attention
again.
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By John Tynan
On the final day of pre-recording
the underscore to The Five Pennies,
a stocky cornetist with a blunt, Irish
face, cropped greying hair, and
brown eyes, arrived at the Para-
mount soundstage—just as he had
done every day during production
of this motion picture based on
his life.
“Guess I’ve kept up with the work
on this picture just about every step
of the way,” said 54-year-old Ernest
Loring Nichols. He set his cornet
case on the floor and settled back
into one of the chairs provided for
studio guests, quickly lit a cigarette,
then remarked through the drift of
tobacco smoke: “I learned an awful
lot, too; especially from this ‘
He waved a hand toward the orches-
tra—a grove of bows, bass necks and
brass, grouped in sections on the
soundstage floor before the podium
of music director Leith Stevens.
“How about some coffee?” Red
quickly walked over to the side of
the soundstage where two huge cof-
fee urns sat on a shelf, spigoted the
hot liquid into a couple of paper
cups, and immediately returned, a
half-smile on his lips.
“See, this is a first experience for
me,” he said. “Watching the orches-
tra work like this, I mean. Though
I've sat in the orchestra many times
as a sideman, this is the first time
I've been an observer from the out-
side.”
He sipped the coffee, then said:
“One thing I’ve learned from watch-
ing Leith and this orchestra work is
that every sideman in America
should take the leader’s place for
awhile. And vice versa.
“If the leaders could sit in with
the band awhile,” he continued,
“all music would become closer knit.
Believe me, you'd see an awtul lot
of crap disappear.”
Nichols returned to his coffee. On
the podium, Stevens, headphone
covering one ear, held the orchestra
in readiness for a take. The over-
head lights slowly faded, and on a
screen high on the wall behind the
orchestra the technicolored main
titles of The Five Pennies began to
unfold as the theme music was dub-
bed on the soundtrack. After two
or three more takes on the titles,
the lights went up again and the
musicians relaxed.
Nichols was grinning broadly.
“Hey,” he said, “isn’t that a dandy
opening? Just like an album cover.
Sure like the theme song Sylvia Fine
wrote, too. Really pretty. When you
sce the finished picture you'll notice
how Leith wove this through the en-
tire thing. A beautiful, restrained
piece of work.”
Obviously not a man to wax vol-
uble on deeply-felt personal matters,
Red summed up his feelings about
Stevens in one simple, sincere state-
ment: “TIL just say this about him:
Through the whole production he’s
been kind and honorable—very fine
indeed. Leith Stevens is a real man!”
No less impressed by Louis Arm-
strong, Nichols commented, “Louis
worked so very hard during the pre-
recording. In fact, he worked his
head off to give Leith and the others
what they wanted. But they captured
it. They got what they wanted from
Louis—and, take my _ word, it’s
great!”
As the afternoon wore on and
the orchestra completed take after
take on separate and, from an out-
sider’s viewpoint, seemingly unre-
lated scenes from the film, Nichols
was in and out of his chair, wander-
ing about the soundstage, chatting
and kidding with spectators, techni-
cians and the picture’s producer,
Jack Rose.
The cornetist’s daily visits to the
studio were possible because his band
was in town, working at the Shera-
ton West in Los Angeles after a stand
at the Marineland resturant, ad-
jacent to the famed oceanarium in
Palos Verdes on the Pacific ocean.
For the past five years, Red and his
Five Pennies have regularly worked
the Sheraton during the’ winter
months. When warmer weather ar-
rives, usually in May, the cornetist
takes his men to jobs in resort lo-
cations such as Lake Tahoe. This
summer and fall, moreover, the Five
Pennies will branch out to play the
Playboy jazz festival in Chicago Aug.
9, Salt Lake City Aug. 21-22, and a
date at Walled Lake, Mich., Sept. 4
before returning to Marineland
where the band will stay until early
December.
During production of The Five
Pennies, however, Red’s preoccupa-
tion was solely in the film. His ad-
miration for the studio musicians,
especially the brass men, knew no
bounds. During dubbing of one
sequence, for example, his quick
enthusiasm quite got the better of
him and gave rise to an incident
which provided unexpected insight
to his character.
The scene being dubbed shows
Danny Kaye, in the role of Nichols,
dropping his cornet off the Golden
Gate bridge into San Francisco bay.
At the point when the horn leaves
Kaye’s hand, the camera follows the
long drop from above, while Stevens’
underscore calls for a single sustained
muted trumpet note to heighten the
drama of the act.
The orchestra made several takes
(Continued on Page 42)
July 9, 1959 © 21
PICTURES OF A MAN AT WORK
Above, Bill Stinson, music department chief at Paramount pictures, talks things over with Leith
Stevens and Danny Kaye on ‘Five Pennies’ set. Below, Stevens, arms outstretched, looks as if he
is about to dive into the orchestra as he conducts. Sat by him, Kaye noodles with a trumpet.
22 ¢ DOWN BEAT
Leith Stevens
Found Armstrong
‘Hasn't Sounded
This Good in
Twenty Years’
If any one person fits the de-
scription of the pioneer of jazz in
motion picture underscoring, it is
49-year-old Leith Stevens.
The husky, gray-haired composer,
whose interest and activity in jazz
dates back to 1934 and the cele-
brated Saturday Night Swing Club
radio series over CBS, had his first
fling at scoring jazz for movies in
Stanley Kramer's production of
Eight Iron Men in 1952.
Since then, Stevens has taken more
ambitious strides down the jazz road
with his scores for The Glass Wall;
The Wild One; Private Hell 36, and
Crashout. The release of his music
for The Wild One on a Decca LP a
few years ago, moreover, set a pre-
cedent and a pattern for successive
practises.
As music director of The Five
Pennies, Stevens found himself in
the ironic situation of having to
score the background music for the
filmed biography of famed jazz cor-
netist Red Nichols without incor-
porating jazz into the underscore
music.
Discussing his work on the picture,
Stevens recently pointed out that
there is no “original underscore” to
The Five Pennies in the orthodox
sense.
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sense. His role as music director,
he said, consisted in part of adopt-
ing the songs of Sylvia Fine—as so-
called background music—to the
story line of the picture.
Delving into problems peculiar to
his Pennies assignment, Stevens drew
attention to the difficulties involved
in balancing the various sequences
featuring Danny Kaye, as Nichols,
and Louis Armstrong playing to-
gether. Nichols made the soundtrack.
“In the Battle Hymn sequence,
for example,” Stevens explained, “we
had a bit of a problem with balance
because of the difference in tone
between Louis and Red.
“Nevertheless, I’m convinced that
both Red and Louis outdid them-
selves in the pre-recording. So far as
I’m concerned, Louis hasn’t sounded
this good in 20 years.”
Stevens, who had not seen Arm-
strong personally for more than 20
years—since they did a Saturday
Night Swing Club program together
in the 1930s—noted that “Louis
slaved over this picture. I’ve never
seen anyone work so hard.”
The composer had settled the pre-
liminary details with Armstrong
about a year before the picture
finally got under way and was look-
ing forward to an unhurried series
of recording sessions with the trum-
peter.
“Actually,” he noted ruefully, “I
had him for only three days of pre-
recording. And in the middle of the
shooting he had to dash off to the
Monterey Jazz festival and other
dates on the coast. All in all, Louis
(could spend) only about 13, 14
days on the picture.”
In order to establish what he
wanted musically from Armstrong,
Stevens said he went through the
trumpeter’s old records, some of
which dated back to the Hot Five
and the Hot Seven days.
“It was simply the shortest way
for me to arrive at a true conception
of his style in certain period por-
tions of the picture.” The result,
according to Stevens, is an exhibi-
tion of “magnificent Armstrong” on
the movie’s soundtrack.
Nichols’ work on the soundtrack
recording was enhanced for the
music director by a “. . . demon-
stration, of a dramatic flair I didn’t
imagine he had.” Stevens elucidated:
“In the scene where Danny Kaye
is trying to prove to his daughter's
teenaged friends that he can still
blow good horn, his lip is supposed
to crack and he finds he can’t make
it anymore. After all, Nichols had
been away from his horn for about
eight years at that time and the
scene had to be believable from a
musical standpoint...
“Well, when we recorded Red in
that particular recording sequence,
we had to handle those tracks so
that the result sounded like some-
thing that actually would happen
to a trumpet player—not to an actor
playing a part. Now, this is the
worst kind of assignment you can
give a horn man—to break up on a
horn—but Red immediately grasped
the situation and came_ through
beautifully.”
An important aspect of Stevens’ job
as music director was to capture ac-
curately the subtle change in style
of performance by Nichols for the
various periods encompassed by Mel
Shavelon’s and Jack Rose's screen
play.
“On every occasion,” Stevens said,
“when Red was supposed to play a
certain way consistent with his style
of the particular period, he hit it
right on the nose. I suppose he ac-
complished this very difficult assign-
ment unconsciously. Yet, when you
compare side by side some ‘early’
tracks with ‘later’ ones, the contrast
stands out vividly.
“IT explained to Red that in order
to sell the feeling of, say, 1927, if
you're going to really be true to
that period, you have to capture
accurately these changes in style. He
understood and came through like
a champ.”
The Five Pennies’ story line pro-
ceeded from the early 1920s to the
middle ’40s, when Nichols returned
to the music business, and identi-
fying musically the various eras was
“very rough,” Stevens said. Toughest
task of all, he said, was duplicating
the sound of the Glenn Miller band
as it was during the early part of
the war.
“For dramatic effect,” according to
Stevens, “we had to show the Miller
band playing /ndiana to shipyard
workers during a lunch break.
“Now, I couldn’t find any record-
ing of the band on this particular
tune so we had to take it from
scratch. Believe me, we really slaved
over this one, and the only reason
the orchestra succeeded in capturing
the Miller approach of that period
was because the guys in the orches-
tra at the studio have worked to-
gether for so long and understand
each other so well, they knew ex-
actly what was required for that
particular track. And this is some-
thing more than just superb musici-
anship; this is real musical under-
standing.”
From 1934 to '39, during which
time Stevens was music director of
Saturday Night Swing Club, the
composer featured the nation’s top
jazzmen on the weekly series.
Aside from the guest stars, the
men in his studio band were some
of the best jazz instrumentalists of
the period. Bunny Berigan . . . Babe
Russin . Jack Jenny Will
Bradley .. . all were members of the
Swing Club house band, and, Stevens
recalled, pianist Joe Bushkin made
his first radio broadcast on this
program.
“But you know something,” Ste:
vens smilingly concluded, “in all the
years I had that show, Red Nichols
was the only major jazz trumpeter—
or cornetist, rather—who never was
on the program.” a
KAYE and LOUIS ARMSTRONG
Armstrong has an important part in ‘Five Pennies’. Here, he records a song with Kaye, who sub-
dued his comic talents to play Red Nichols.
July 9, 1959 © 23
out of
Junior, of Junior's Bar & Grill in New York, is plan-
ning a full schedule of activities to keep his musician
clientele happy. A lew of the attractions he has sched-
uled for July are:
1. Eugene O'Neill, the Father of American Musical
Comedy (lecture) .
2. Zoot Sims Indian-Hand-Wrestles Al Cohn (con-
test) .
Rutgers Glee Club sings All Alone by the Tele-
phone and other favorites.
4. Copping Out... A Way of Life? (forum).
5. Tony Scott Kicks Buddy DeFranco in the Mouth
(exhibition) .
6. Max Roach Drops a Tray of Dishes in Waltz
Time (jazz laboratory) .
7. The Importance of Self-Expression (lecture by
Babs Gonzales) .
8. Why Charlie's Tavern Stinks (lecture by Jun-
10Yr).
9. Famous Dear-John Letters Read to Jazz (various
nowhere chicks and Teo Macero) . —
10. The Importance of Ira Gitler to Jazz (lecture by
Ira Gitler) .
font Pentima] fe
With this Jazz on the River series starting on New
York’s Hudson River, I bet some poor cat gets busted
for possession of Mother Sill’s Seasick Pills . . . with
intent to sell?
There is no truth to the rumor that Herbie Mann
is applying for Cuban citizenship. . . .
Did you hear the one about the guy who made
$250,000 in one year, selling lawnmowers to George
Wein ...?
co
deebee's scrapbook #5
ED SHERMAN
24 © DOWN BEAT
ONLY IN A PRESS-RELEASE: A Day in Court, an
ABC-TV show, sends out this description of a forth-
coming program: “William Gwinn presiding: A wile,
seeking to divorce her bongo-playing husband, claims
he speaks to her in drum language.” Don’t put him
down lady, maybe he thinks yow re Candido!
ON A GODFREY SHOW IN MARCH: “Another
feature will be the Cohen Brothers, three boys who play
one piano at the same time.” .. . No comment!
On a CBS radio show: “Dr. Wyland F. Leadbetter
will report a prostate operation on WCBS Radio's Sur-
gery Today.” Let’s see Mancini score this one!
eral pce
Hurrah for Maxwell T. Cohen!
focencltfettmmtif
RUMOR: Norman Granz planning huge jazz con-
cert at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Smash ending will
come when Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, playing How
High the Moon, will actually be blasted-off into orbit,
in unison!
Any further information on this concert will be
passed on to you as it comes in.
Presnell) fetal
You might not believe this but, there are actually
three tenormen walking the streets with the following
names: Lester Parker, Zoot Getz and Carlton Macbeth!
Next we'll probably have a nutty trumpet-player from
Cleveland named Miles Gillespie!
fommeetipeae nif
THINGS-I-DIG-DEPARTMENT:
Austin-Healey sports cars, Janet Blair, Horace Silver
solos, Guido Panzini, science-fiction movies, singers Ray
Charles and Bill Henderson, Percy Heath’s skull, sunken
bathtubs, Gilbert Roland, the sun, Bob and Ray, Milt
Jackson, Steve Allen, the word “fink”, scotch, sleeping
late, Rod Serling, “new” trumpet-star Blue Mitchell,
good hotels, expense accounts, sports car racing, Wilbur
Ware, cold beer, Ann Bancroft, Italian suits, horseback
riding, Sonny Rollins, grilled cheese and Freddie Greene
... All chicks with similar tastes please respond!
THINGS-I-DON’T-DIG-DEPARTMENT:
Liner-notes, Dick Clark, Mabel Mercer, sour cream,
Pontiacs, Jack Paar, these new vocal groups, getting-up,
old man, scotch and coke, dentists, liver-bile commer-
cials, liver-bile in general, Natalie Wood, jazz in church,
frozen orange-juice, pajamas, recessed filters, automatic
transmissions, jazz concerts, head waiters and _ nose-
bleeds. ...
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In New York,
NAMM Trade
Show Will Tell
What's the latest?
In high fidelity, of course, it’s
stereo and has been for a year or so.
And every year the people who make
radio-phonographs get together at
a trade show to display the latest.
This June, they gather in New York
City under one roof at the National
Association of Music Merchants
trade show and convention.
The most important aspect of
the 1959 NAMM show will be the
new lines of packaged phonographs
and other music reproducers (prob-
ably including, according to reports,
tape cartridge players) that will de-
but there. The most important thing
to look for, since stereo itself is no
longer a novelty, will be the form
that stereo machines are taking.
At the NAMM show last year,
most phonograph companies dis-
played some kind of stereo units
if not complete stereo lines.
Many of the units were thrown
together in a hurry, since no manu-
facturer wanted to be left behind.
The result at that time was a pro-
fusion—or perhaps confusion—of dif-
ferent stereo approaches. Some firms
had two-channel amplifiers in a mas-
ter unit with a satellite speaker a
few feet away. Other firms put a
single-channel amplifier in the mas-
ter unit with an additional ampli-
fier and speaker in the satellite. Still
Whats SY, . = n
tereo >
Fig. 1. All-in-one stereo music system built by Roslyn (N.Y.) tenor man Hy Gimbel. The woodwork
was done by Gimbel in his own shop. Note the concealed speakers at each end of this long unit.
others put both amplifiers and both
speakers in one large piece of furni-
ture,
Stereo, rather than the approach
to it, was the thing. As long as the
unit carried the stereo tag, the man-
ufacturer felt he was keeping pace
with the trend.
Manufacturers now are ready to
show their 1960 lines. Is there less
confusion?
First, it’s worth noting that the
1960 lines went through a planning
stage early in the year—back in Jan-
uary and February. In other words,
manufacturers had to decide on a
direction even before they had
enough sales experience to know
which direction would be best. In
a sense, they’re gambling on the year
ahead.
Here’s what they decided:
In inexpensive units—from $34.95
to consolettes at about $150—the
master unit contains two-channel
amplification with a satellite speaker.
The speakers can be separated up
to 20 feet apart.
Expensive stereo units, however,
are all in one. The cabinet contains
both amplifiers and both speakers.
Speakers are separated from 36 inches
up to almost 5 feet.
Let’s consider’ the
low-priced
phonographs and the expensive ones
separately.
The direction that the inexpensive
units would take was determined
early in the year by the phonograph
division of Columbia Records. This
firm introduced a_ self-contained
stereo portable for $39.95 last Janu-
ary and set a low price mark for the
other firms to shoot at.
The result is that virtually every
firm with models in that bracket
will have stereo units at or near
that price at this year’s NAMM show.
Arvin goes Columbia one better with
a similar unit at $34.95. Webcor is
splitting the difference with a model
at $37.95. Similarly priced models
will be forthcoming from firms such
as Dynavox, Steelman, Birch, Wa-
ters-Conley.
How can stereo be produced at
that price? It’s easy. The compo-
nents are inexpensive, and the sound
is less than high fidelity. But it ¢s
stereo. So long as there are two sep-
arate speakers, driven by two sep-
arate amplifiers (even though the
amps may be built together on one
chassis), and it has a stereo cartridge,
a machine can produce stereo sound.
A possible result of the appear-
ance of these low-priced units may
well be an upsurge of interest in
stereo 45-rpm discs. While stereo
45s haven’t been sold enough to
talk about at the retail level (there’s
July 9, 1959 © 25
been little or no promotion of them)
there have been a substantial num-
ber of them released for use on
jukeboxes.
In other words, 45s are available,
and the extensive sale of low-priced
stereo portable phonographs to the
teenage market next year could cre-
ate a demand for stereo 45s at the
retail level.
So much for the inexpensive sets.
What about the higher-priced ones?
In designing their 1960 lines, the
phonograph firms say the most im-
portant consideration for them was
how they thought an average house-
wife would feel about separate cab-
inets for the second stereo speaker
in her living room.
In their view, she wouldn't like the
idea. Many engineers and experts
feel this is beside the point. They
say real stereo is impossible unless
the speakers are at least eight feet
apart, and adjustable. But the house-
wife is rarely a high fidelity or a
Fig. 2. View of components Gimbel installed
in his deluxe cabinet. Far left is Ampex stereo
tape playback, next Marantz control center,
Karg FM crystal-switching tuner at rear. On
right is a Rek-O-Kut high quality turntable
with an Electrosonic (ESL) arm. The stereo cart-
ridge is a Shure M3-D. Total cost of com-
ponents, including two Pilot 40-watt power am-
plifiers and two James B. Lansing 15-inch
speakers is slightly over $1500.
stereo purist. She wants her living
room to conform to a particular im-
age, and that image doesn’t include
a number of separate cabinets. All-
in-one stereo units are the result.
But that’s not to say that the purist
has been left out in the cold. Com-
promise is possible.
Several firms, RCA Victor, Strom-
berg Carlson, Fisher among them,
have come up with compromise solu-
tions. The listener who wants wide
speaker separation and will accept
nothing less can buy an all-in-one
unit, plus a separate speaker en-
closure. When the separate speaker
is hooked in with a jack plug, which
is provided, a switch is flipped, and
the entire master unit becomes the
26 © DOWN BEAT
left stereo channel and the separate
speaker becomes the right stereo
channel.
Another variation with this type
of console is this: left channel re-
mains left channel, the separate
speaker becomes right channel, and
the original right channel of the
all-in-one cabinet becomes a mix of
left and right. According to some
phonograph firm spokesmen, this
mid-, or third-channel is ideal.
But these compromise solutions
haven't overcome the extra furniture
problem. And the manufacturers
seem to be aware that they do re-
duce the stereo effect by the necessity
of bringing the speakers together in
one cabinet. That they recognize a
problem here is best shown by the
different ways they place the two
speakers in one cabinet. To enhance
the stereo effect, the speakers are
slanted, tilted, or pointed in direc-
tions calculated to keep the two
channels as separated as possible.
Still another compromise is a com-
pletely new approach by Philco.
Again, the principal concern is room
decor and the possibility of achiev-
ing the best stereo effect using mini-
mum furniture.
Philco uses two “outrigger” speak-
ers in conjunction with the usual
furniture master unit. The newness
of this approach is in the use of elec-
trostatic speakers as the outriggers.
One of the benefits of electrostatic
speakers is their flexibility of physi-
cal design. They can be made in a
variety of forms, and they produce
good clean sound in the middle- and
upper-frequency range. Size and
weight are small in comparison with
traditional cone type of speaker.
Philco has used its electrostatics—
which, incidentally, it calls Stereo-
Phones—in an interesting way.
They are jewellike in finish and
resemble a small electric heater unit.
The front of the Stereo-Phone is
metallic, and the over-all frame ap-
pears to be colored plastic.
They are 12 inches wide and nine
inches high, not large enough to be
considered space-eaters, yet hand-
some enough to please a housewife.
There’s this also to be said for the
Philco. From the purely auditory
standpoint, the use of electrostatic
speakers makes plenty of sense. Some
high fidelity enthusiasts say this type
of speaker hasn't the warmth or mel-
lowness of the cone types. But they
are clean and cool. Used as they are
in the new Philco system, along with
a woofer and midrange cones, the
over-all effect is very good sound.
Electrostatic speakers, incidentally,
are available as components for high
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Fig. 3 shows three of the most common de-
vices used toseparate the stereo speaker sounds.
Method A simply aims the speakers forward
and apart at an angle. Method B points the
speakers in opposite directions. The doors on
the front of the console help to further sepa-
rate the individual sounds from the two
speakers. Method C uses the doors in a some-
what different way. The doors are slanted and
the directional sound waves are reflected from
them toward the listener. The doors are adjust-
able and the direction of the sound can be
changed to suit varying listening conditions.
fidelity systems, stereo or not, in a
variety of sizes from $27.50 up.
In the field of tape playbacks, sev-
eral trends are worth noting. First
of all, there’s the tape cartridge. The
long-awaited RCA Victor tape cart-
ridge system is ready for the market.
It has been shown to the press. This
could be the biggest news at the
NAMM show this year.
RCA showed improved cartridge
players, with the cartridges, earlier
this month, and plans to push them.
The company exhibited one of these
cartridge players at last year's
NAMM show in Chicago. But it
tucked it away in a corner and didn't
demonstrate it unless someone asked.
What a way to treat one of the most
_far-reaching innovations since micro-
groove discs.
Other tape recorder firms may go
along with the RCA Victor design.
But they have to wait for RCA be-
cause the big electronics firm is the
only one with a record affiliation
capable of putting out the recorded
tape cartridges it sells in quantity.
Columbia and Minnesota Mining
& Manufacturing are reported reli-
ably to be working up different tape
cartridge—two tracks on an eighth-
inch tape (regular magnetic record-
ing tape is a quarter-inch wide).
(Continued on Page 40)
IV
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40)
By Charles Graham
Professor Marshall Stearns has a
home just off Washington Square
pear New York University where he
teaches English. Thousands of rec-
ords line his living room and study.
lt is here that the Institute of Jazz
Studies, of which he is the director,
has its headquarters, and here may
he found fascinating and often his-
torically important items of jazz
and its past.
For example, there is a beat-up
alto saxophone that Charlie Parker
often used. And there is another
horn, a tenor that once belonged to
the late Lester Young. The files of
the Institute are filled with back-
ground information and _ assorted
memorabilia of countless musicians
going back to the earliest days of
jazz.
Dr. Stearns invited me into his
large living room to see his present
high fidelity set and to discuss his
ideas for converting it to stereo. He
showed me a long low case with a
lid and a carrying handle. It con-
tained a Webster changer, a Grom-
mes 15-watt amplifier, and a built-in
eight-inch loudspeaker in a_ small
bass reflex cabinet. This rig has a
couple of jacks near the speaker;
cords plugged into the jacks were
connected to his main living room
listening speakers. These compo-
nents were built into this portable
case for his use away from home to
illustrate his talks and lectures on
the history of jazz.
The main living-room speakers,
located across the narrower wall
(about 20 feet across) of the room,
include a large 10-cubic-foot bass re-
flex cabinet with a big 15-inch RCA
model LCIA coaxial loudspeaker
mounted in it. On each side of this
cabinet there is a small cabinet con-
taining a Wharfedale 8-inch speaker
in a small modified horn.
These small speakers are used
when Stearns plays records in a large
hall.. He has two small EW. (Elec-
tronic Workshop) enclosures with
Wharfedale Bronze eight-inch cone
driver (speaker units). These have
long cords ending in plugs that can
be inserted into the speaker jacks
on the portable rig.
Dr. Stearns learned some time ago
that monophonic music sounded
more realistic when played through
speakers somewhat separated, so he
had a simple control box made up to
Miarshall Stearns and Stereo
enable him to use either the RCA
speaker, the two EW-Wharfedale
units, or all three at once. This
equipment demonstrates, in fact, one
of the things stereo gives us as a by-
product: better sound from mono-
phonic program material. We hear
it through two speakers separated by
several feet.
Dr. Stearns also has a _ self-con-
tained phonograph in his study; it
has a Rauland-Borg 17-watt ampli-
fier in one cabinet, an approved FM
tuner, and a Garrard changer (which
was several years old) with a General
Electric pickup cartridge.
After discussing the possibilities
with Len Chase, the personable and
very knowledgeable manager of the
Electronic Workshop at 26 West 8th
Street, Dr. Stearns decided to use the
cabinet from his study phonograph,
to give the components from that set
to some needy musician or student,
and to use the speakers in his main
, .
Stearns’ Choices
For converting mono to stereo
Pickup cartridge Shure M7D $45.00
Disc Changer Garrard RC98 $67.50
Preamp-control
Leak “Point One’ Stereo.$109.00
Power Amplifier (s)
Leak Stereo Z0:......... $149.00
Installation, speaker switches
a ee eee 25.00
$395.50
plus speakers
from previous setup
living room as the basis for his stereo
system. He decided to use a_ three-
speaker stereo setup with the two
EW-Wharfedales as the stereo pair,
each getting its audio signals from
one channel of its power amplifier.
Then, since bass sounds are very
non-directional, the bass of those
two units would be well reinforced
by feeding just the low ‘bass of both
channels into the RCA _ 15-inch
speaker, using it only as a low bass
woofer.
He considered reworking the port-
able rig to make use of parts of it in
the new stereo setup. However, it
would have been necessary to have
the portable rebuilt, junking the
Grommes amplifier, or using it along
with another external amplifier (ex-
ternal to the portable case) and a
little separate stereo control (see
page 17, Feb. 19th issue) for adjust-
ing both channels at once. He would
also have had to rewire the Webcor
changer for stereo. This would have
cost about $8 to $10 plus the cost of
the new stereo cartridge. And, with
the good bass of the RCA 15-incher
in its cabinet, the stereo discs would
probably make more rumble than
he had from monophonic discs in
this setup.
He decided to keep the portable
rig intact, since he will continue to
use it in lecturing and teaching. The
EW-Wharfedales can still go along
with the portable changer-amplifier
when necessary. For an amplifier he
decided to go all the way, though
he had had no trouble from his
(Continued on Page 40)
July 9, 1959 © 27
Zenith Model SF 112, Seville table phonograph, ready for
stereo by plugging in matching speaker model SRS 2. Each
unit has separgte woofer cone speakers and small cone
tweeters. Including four-speed changer, treble and bass
controls, stereo balance control.
Granco Stereo Twins are matching FM and AM
radios. Using two separate radios, stereo simul-
casts which are now available in some cities on
the companion FM and AM transmitters of cer-
tain stations may be received in full stereo. The
two radios are placed 7 to 10 feet apart. Cost,
$60 total, for the two radios together.
Packard-Bell RCP-3 includes Glaser-Steers stereo
changer and two 60-watt amplifiers along with
15-inch woofer, 6x9-inch oval mid-range speaker,
and horn tweeter. FM and AM radio includes
zlectric eye tuning. Shown in Swedish modern,
available in other styles, the RPC-3 master unit
costs $400-$450. Matching stereo speaker unit
$180 to $200.
28 * DOWN BEAT
ad mish
ae
Pilot model 1060 has Garrard RC-121 changer
with GE stereo diamond cartridge, separate
woofer and tweeter cone speakers. Costs $219
including stereo controls and amplifiers. Matching
speaker for stereo plugs in, costs $40.
Setchell-Carlson RP93B stereo combination may
be had with either stereo phonograph or FM
and/or AM radio tuner(s). Matching cabinet with
12-inch woofer and four-inch tweeter looks iden-
tical. Main unit includes two audio amplifiers
on one chassis. Basic unit $150. Changer, $52.
FM, $30. AM, $20. Separate speaker, $70.
Heath C
form. S
stereo S$
combine
special
four-spe
Price cor
Capitol
graph h
treble c
unit. Co:
unit cost
Dynavo»
has two
treble «
Matchins
stereo. |
11 changer
, separate
Costs $219
;. Matching
, costs $40.
ation may
ph or FM
ibinet with
ooks iden-
amplifiers
nger, $52.
$70.
Heath Co. has provided a complete stereo system in kit
form. Small outrigger, or ‘‘satellite'’ speakers reproduce
stereo sound from 250 cycles up. Woofer in main cabinet
combines sound from 250 down. Amplifier is CBS Labs
special stereo amplifier circuit. Amplifier is a kit. Includes
four-speed changer with stereo ceramic diamond cartridge.
Price complete, model SD-1 Kit, $180.
Capitol model 828 portable stereo-ready phono-
graph has two six-inch cones, separate bass and
treble controls, outlet for separate speaker-amp
unit. Costs $99. Separate unit to complete stereo
unit costs about $40.
Dynavox model 898 portable stereo phonograph
has two seven-watt amplifiers, separate bass and
treble controls, balance control, stereo changer.
Matching speaker at upper right plugs in for
stereo. Both units, complete, $160.
Olympic Stereo Phonograph with radio. The
Summerland has two 15-watt amplifiers and two
three-way speaker systems for complete stereo
in one cabinet. Jacks provided for plugging in
outrigger speakers as desired for greater stereo
separation. Separate bass and treble controls for
each channel, plus stereo phono cartridge.
FM-AM radio is not stereo, but will take multi-
plex stereo casts if and when they are made.
Fisher Promenade II has high quality 20-watt amplifier,
complete controls for stereo operation including stereo
balance. Series 140 companion speaker (upper right) with
separate amplifier and speaker to match main unit. Lower
right shows Promenade II closed. Main unit, with diamond
stereo stylus, $229. Companion speaker-amplifier, $60.
Dynamic Americana, all-in-one stereo console.
Two 25-watt amplifiers, each side has one 12-
inch woofer, one eight-inch mid-range and one
four-inch tweeter speaker. Connection provided
for plugging in outrigger speakers if desired for
extra stereo depth. Diamond stereo cartridge.
FM-AM radio optional.
Noted jazz historian, MARSHALL STEARNS, author of the STorY OF JAZZ, takes notes
for his new book on jazz and the dance from an interview tape that he plays back on
his NORELCO ‘Continental’ tape recorder. DR. STEARNS is Director of the INSTITUTE
OF JAZZ STUDIES and Associate Professor of English at HUNTER COLLEGE. “J make
constant use of my NORELCO ‘Continental’ when doing field work for my books and
articles,” states Dr. STEARNS. “Here, the most significant feature is three speed
versatility. I find that the extremely economical 1% speed is ideal for recording
interviews from which I later take material needed for my work. The other speeds
are exceptional for their ability to capture the full fidelity of music and voice.”
The NoREtco ‘Continental’ is a product of North American Philips Co., Inc., High
Fidelity Products Division, Dept. IFF6, 230 Duffy Avenue, Hicksville, L.1., N. Y.
30
It works like a charm to say PRESTO—the first name in instantaneous recording
discs. Only PRESTO makes the famous PRESTO MASTER, the ultimate in flawless,
fleck-less disc-recording surfaces. Only PRESTO, alone among all manufacturers,
handles every intricate step in the manufacture of its discs. Why use a disc that
isn’t PRESTO-perfect ?
BOGEN-PRESTO CO., Paramus, New Jersey. A Division of The Siegler Corporation.
Since 1934 the world’s most carefully made recording discs and equipment.
DOWN BEAT
CAAA COA RAAAAARAN OSES,
AANA NAC AGOC IE #8 MANDA RR AADAC.
mannaat wat retires
(Ed. Noie: Following is a list of
current manufacturer literature in
the stereo and high fidelity field. If
you wish to receive any of it, indi-
cate your choices and mail to Stereo,
Down Beat, 205 W. Monroe St.,
Chicago 6, Ill. Enclose remittance
where a price is designated.)
Allied Radio: 400-page catalog
Home—22 pages .........
Apparatus Dev. Corp.; FM sta-
tion list and FM antenna
CRIMIRE osc cccisevicesnisss
Electro-Voice: ABCs of High
Fidelity and a Stereo Primer.
12-inch LP, stereo disc......$1.50
E-V: How to Choose and Place
Stereo Equipment in the
Home—22 pp. .......20+..
GE: 15 Minutes to Stereo—A
Basic Guide to stereo; 24
pages, including glossary of
COTES wet sic ee wusace
Heathkit: Heathkit Hi-Fi. 28-
page catalog of all Heath
J.B. Lansing cabinetmakers’
plans for all Lansing enclo-
sures, with bill of materials.
Ask for list and prices.....
Jensen: Bulletin JH-1 (speak-
ers, enclosures, kits) ......
Lafayette: Catalog 590. 260
pages, including kits and
COMAOMEMTE 2... occ ccccncs
Pilot: Stereo and You. Compo-
nents and consoles........
Scott, H. H. Co.: Catalog of
Components. 20 pages......
Shure: High Fidelity. Booklet
covering stereo and mono-
phonic tone afms, and cart-
ME ScaN cea s ce eananvaes
Sonotone Corp.: Stereo Simpli-
fied. Pocket-sized booklet ex-
plains stereo recording and
ee pron vee
™ VI
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in review
@ Records
@ Blindfold Test
@ Jazz Record Buyers Guide
@ Caught in the Act
Records are reviewed by Gene Lees, George Hoefer, Richard Hadlock, John A. Tynan, and
Don Henahan (classical). Ratings: ** * * * Excellent, * * ** Very Good, * * * Good,
* *& Fair, * Poor. [S] = Stereo. [M] = Monaural.
CLASSICS
Hollywood String Quartet
MW VILLA-LOBOS Quartet No. 6 and KODALY
Quartet No. 2—Capitol P-8472
Personnel: Hollywood String Quartet
Rating: *k& k* k*
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Brazil's one-man
music factory, is one of the most prolific
composers of all time. When last reports
arrived he allegedly had rounded the 2,000
opus-number turn and wasn’t even breath-
ing hard. For this reason, perhaps, record
makers have done less handsomely by him
than his stature would seem to demand;
undoubtedly anyone who wades into the
body of Villa-Lobos’s work begins to feel
like a man assigned to catch Niagara Falls
in a bucket. This first and only Villa-Lobos
string quartet on records, by the Virtuosi
di Hollywood, was written in 1938, and is
full of French influences, probably as a
result of the composer’s stay in Paris in the
1920s. The work, No. 6 of (we are told) 16
such quartets, seems to have been sired by
the Debussy quartet, but is far from merely
a talented imitation. It has the mood-setting
quality that immediately identifies any un-
familiar work as music rather than mere
technical notation. If the Hollywood group
plans to continue in the Villa-Lobos vein,
this tonally sleek and artistically sympa-
thetic record augurs well for the project.
The more familiar Kodaly also is ex-
pertly carried off, and makes this disc
doubly attractive.
Lorin Maazel/Beethoven
§S}) LORIN MAAZEL CONDUCTS Beethoven's
Symphony No. 5 and Consecration of the House
Overture—Decca DL-710006.
Rating: * *
Not much justification for this release
can be offered except the undeniable one
that every young conductor ought to be
given his chance to conduct Beethoven's
Fifth, even if, as in Maazel’s case, he hasn't
yet discovered much to say about it. He
sets and maintains the standard tempos,
and the Berlin musicians (who probably
have played this one before) take it from
there, Adding to the general air of medio-
crity about this record is the fact that the
massed strings have been given an extreme-
ly wiry sound that knob twirling can alle-
viate but not cure.
New York Pro Musica
fs} SACRED MUSIC OF THOMAS TALLIS—
Decca DL-79404: The Lamentations of Jeremiah,
Mass for Four Voices, In Jejunio et Fletu (motet).
Personnel: New York Pro Musica, directed by
Noah Greenberg.
Rating: kkk *
Here is another of the Pro Musica’s peer-
less packages, put together with the same
scholarship and artistry that marked such
releases as Music of Medieval Court and
Countryside. Complete texts, in both Latin
and English. The Lamentations, especially,
are a fascinating maze of counterpoint in
which the listener somehow never gets lost.
These have been recorded before, notably
by Alfred Deller and company, but the
other two works are new to discs.
JAZZ
Ahmed Abdul-Malik
JAZZ SAHARA—Riverside RLP 1121: Ya
Annas (Oh, People); Isma’a (Listen); El Haris
(Anxious); Farah ’Alaiyna (Joy Upon Us.
Personnel: Abdul-Malik, oud and bass; Johnny
Griffin, tenor; Naim Karacand, violin; Jack Gha-
naim, kanoon; Mike Hamway, darabeka; Bilal
Abdurrahman, duf; Al Harewood, drums.
Rating: * * *
How in the devil can one rate this? The
Middle Eastern rhythm and string instru-
mental work calls for different standards
of judgment than jazz. This could be excel-
lent or inferior as ethnic music of the Arab
countries, for all that any poor benighted
American can tell.
The jazz factor here is Griffin, who de-
serves praise for courage beyond the call
of duty. He who can blow Salt Peanuts
and Surrey with the Fringe on Top to the
sounds of the kanoon and darabeka is no
ordinary man.
For those who are looking for wild new
kicks in jazz, this may be it. The stars are
for Griffin’s contribution.
Chet Baker
™ CHET—Riverside RLP 12-229: Alone To-
gether; How High the Moon; It Never Entered
My Mind; ’Tis Autumn; If You Could See Me
Now; September Song; You'd Be So Nice to Come
Home To; Time on My Hands; You and the
Night and the Music.
Personnel: Baker, trumpet; Herbie Mann, flute;
Pepper Adams, baritone; Bill Evans, piano; Ken-
ny Burrell, guitar; Paul Chambers, bass; Connie
Kay (tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7), Philly Joe Jones
(tracks 4, 8, 9), drums.
Rating: *& *& *',
Whether by executive decision or artistic
default, Riverside and Baker elected to
issue an album made up entirely of ballads.
While it is true that Baker does fascinat-
ing things to pretty tunes, the nonappear-
ance of at least one or two rousers results
in a somewhat bloodless package.
Yet there are enough redeeming exam-
ples of characteristic Baker trumpet to give
this record something that too few per-
formances possess today: thoughtful under-
statement. Baker picks his way here with
less certainty than he once did, but the sen-
suous personal tone and the carefully
wrought countermelodies are still in evi-
dence and worth hearing.
Baritonist Adams develops more convinc-
ing lyrical statements than one might anti-
cipate on the basis of his earlier,
shouting, records.
The rhythm section is a model of super-
lative musicianship in balance with mature
taste. It is a unit that would bring out
the best in any player, including the trou-
bled young trumpet player featured here.
Bay Big Band
™ {8} THE BAY BIG BAND SWINGS THE
FORTIES—Omega Disk OML 1019: Let’s Dance;
Jersey Bounce; Wang Wang Blues; I Found a
New Baby; Benny Rides Again; And the Angels
Sing; Airmail Special; Brussels Blues; Six Flats
Unfurnished; Goodbye.
Personnel: Francis Bay, leader, trombone and
woodwinds; Francis L’Eglise, Jef Verhaegen, Ben-
ny Couroyer, Pres Creado, Guy Dossche, reeds;
Edmond Harnie, Louis De Haes, Charlie Knegtel,
Jean Cortois, trumpets; Albert Mertens, Paul
Annee, trombones; Jean Evans, piano; Freddy
Saunder, guitar; Armand van der Walle, drums.
Rating: * * *
A low bow to the big band ear by some
of Europe’s top dance musicians, this al-
bum is another of the seemingly inex-
haustable supply of Bay Big band LPs to
emanate from the Omega company, which
recorded them at the time of the Brussels
World's fair.
Over most of this music hovers the
shadow of Benny Goodman, whose sound
arranger Bay attempts to emulate here.
He is only partially successful. The en-
sembles fail to achieve the very full sound
of the Goodman band in its heyday; the
solos (particularly those of the clarinet)
come nowhere near the quality of Good-
man’s hotshots. Nowhere are soloists identi-
fied, moreover, and on none of these Big
Bay albums is there listed a bass player.
At best this is good big-band dance
music; at worst is becomes merely slavish
imitation.
more
Terry Gibbs
™ MORE VIBES ON VELVET—Mercury MG
36148: Moonlight Serenade; Blues in the Night;
Impossible; What Is There to Say?; | Remember;
The Things We Did Last Summer; You Make Me
Feel So Young; At Last; Lazy Sunday; Every
Day Is Spring with You; With All My Love to
You; Don’t Cry.
Personnel: Gibbs, vibes; saxes and rhythm un-
identified.
Rating: * *
Annotator John Tynan quotes Gibbs,
“It’s very hard to play straight melody on
vibes . . . It’s really tough to stay on the
melody line.”
Mercury supports his statement with a
set of ballads, including several dull ones,
and a background of saxes to bring out
the full drabness of the material. Gibbs
does seem to be uncomfortable when the
hammers aren’t flying. However, the “vel-
vet” gimmick sold pretty well once, so why
not again?
Gibbs is a capable jazzman. It seems
pointless to drown him in saxes, weight
him down with a rhythm section that
doesn’t swing, and leave the poor fellow to
rot as a phony “mood” musician. A little
thought could have produced an album of
pretty tunes that would have stood up as
absorbing jazz, too.
July 9, 1959 © 31
America’s JAZZ Masters
invite YOU to join
FERGUSON
——
” OF AMERICA, INC.
As the members of the board of advisors
to Jazz of America, Inc. we extend an
invitation for you to join this new and
growing jazz organization, Jazz of America,
Inc. The individual membership fee is only
$5.00 a year, and the benefits you'll receive
will be many, many times that amount. As
charter members, here are a few of the
direct benefits you will receive:
Save $1.00 on LP Jazz
Records
20% - 40% discounts on
Down Beat, Metronome
and Playboy magazines
Free subscription to Jazz
of America new spaper, The
Jazz Messenger, giving you
news of jazz clubs through-
out the country
Discount admissionto Bird-
4 land and other nationally
famous jazz centers
Assistance in organizing
local Jazz clubs
Membership card and cer-
tificate
Big savings on Hi-Fiequip-
ment.
MAIL THIS” COUPON Now!
a
Ande OF AMERICA, INC.
v
P. O. BOX 1737, RICHMOND 14, VA.
Please accept my membership in Jazz of
America, Inc. I enclose $5.00 in check or
money order.
Addres:
City. State
Name of your local jazz club, if any__
ee even eeeeeeaee7eeeee#
Bobby Hackett
™ BLUES WITH A KICK—Capitol ST-
1172: Good-Bye Blues, Weary Blues; Sugar Blues;
Blues in the Night; Baker’s Keyboard Blues; Wang
Wang Blues; Limehouse Blues; Davenport Blues;
Blues In My Heart; Alcoholic Blues; Bye Bye
Blues; Blues With A Kick.
Personnel: Bobby Hackett, trumpet, accompanied
by Stan Applebaum’s orchestra, which includes
Nicky Tagg, piano and Hammond organ, Milt Hin-
ton, bass; Harry Brewer and Phil Kraus, percus-
sion; nine violins, two violas and two cellos.
Combined with the orchestra is Hackett’s regular
quartet: Dave:McKenna, piano; Johnny Guiffrida,
bass; and Joe Porcaro, drums.
Rating: k¥ kk *
Years ago. they used to bury a jazz man
in a large orchestra and muffle him. Now
the trend is to highlight the jazz man and
back him up with schmaltz. This is called
a stereo curtain.
On the first two tracks of Side 1 of this
LP, Hackett uses his cup mute; then, when
listing.
(Riverside RLP 12-290)
Cannonball Adderley,
(Riverside RLP 12-286)
Series-R-52024)
(Verve MG V-8261)
The Hi-Lo’s, And All That Jazz
(United Artists MX-21)
JAZZ RECORD BUYER'S GUIDE .,
For the benefit of jazz record buyers, Down Beat provides a monthly ®
listing of jazz LPs rated four stars or more during the preceding five- @
issue period. LPs so rated in this issue will be included in the next
zxkkKen«k
Stan Getz, The Steamer (Verve MG V 2894)
Coleman Hawkins, The High and Mighty Hawk (Felsted 7005)
kkk kk
Bill Evans, Everyone Digs Bill Evans (Riverside 12-291)
Benny Golson, The Other Side of Benny Golson
Edmond Hall, Petite Fleur (United Artists 4028)
Herb Pomeroy, Band in Boston (United Artists 5015)
Vic Schoen-Les Brown, Stereophonic Suite for Two Bands (Kapp 7003)
xx« «* x
Things Are Getting Better
Nat Adderley Quintet, Branching Out (Riverside 12-285)
Count Basie Orch., Basie One More Time (Roulette Birdland
Dave Brubeck Quartet, Newport 1958 (Columbia 1249)
Dick Cary, Hot and Cool (Stereocraft RTN 106)
Harry Edison, The Swinger (Verve MG V-8295)
Bud Freeman, and his Summa Cum Laude Trio (Dot DLP 3166)
Freddie Gambrell with Ben Tucker (World Pacific 1256)
Coleman Hawkins, The Genius of Coleman Hawkins,
(Columbia 8077)
Earl Hines, Earl’s Backroom (Felsted 7002)
Gene Krupa plays Gerry Mulligan Arrangements (Verve MG V 8292)
Steve Lacy, Reflections (New Jazz 9206)
Lou Levy Plays Baby Grand Jazz (Jubilee SDJLP 1101)
George Lewis, and his New Orleans Stompers (Blue Note 1208)
The Mastersounds, Flower Drum Song (World Pacific 1252)
Blue Mitchell, Out of the Blue (Riverside RLP 12-293)
Hank Mobley-Billy Root-Curtis Fuller-Lee Morgan, Another Monday
Night at Birdland (Roulette R 52022)
Mift Mole, Aboard the Dixie Hi- Flyer
Red Nichols and The Five Pennies at Marineland (Capitol ST 1163)
Red Rodney Returns (Argo LP 643)
Annie Ross sings a Song of Mulligan (World Pacific 1253)
Tony Scott-Jimmy Knepper, Free Blown Jazz
Zoot Sims-Bob Brookmeyer, Stretching Out (United Artists UAL 4023)
Larry Sonn, Jazz Band Having a Ball (Dot 9005)
Cy Touff, Touff Assignment (Argo LP 641)
United Artists Roster of Great Stars, Some
he comes to Sugar Blues, he dispenses with
the “squeezer’—no doubt because of
thoughts of Clyde McCoy.
Blues Kick is lively, clean Hackett, alte:
nating with some good McKenna _ piano
There is more originality in his playing
here than in many other records where his
horn has been used against lush string
backgrounds.
Capitol is on a compilation kick, an
these are all standard Tin Pan Alley blues
tunes, with the exception of Baker’s Ke)
board and Blues With A Kick. The forme:
is named after a jazz spot in Detroit; th
latter is co-credited to leader Applebaum
On the whole, a fine disc.
Chico Hamilton
'S} GONGS EAST!—Warner Bros. WS 1271:
Beyond the Blue Horizon; Where I Live; Gong
East; | Gave My Love a Cherry; Good Gries
(Stepheny MF 4011)
(Carlton STLP 12/113)
Like it Cool
Lester Young-Teddy Wilson Quartet (Verve MG V-8205)
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Dennis; Long Ago; Tuesday at Two; Nature By
Emerson; Far East; Passion Flower. —
Personnel: Hamilton, drums; Eric Dolphy,
alto, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet; Nathan Gersh-
man, cello; Dennis Budimir, guitar; Wyatt
Ruther, bass.
Rating: k¥*e*¥ k*
Ordinarily, a small jazz band that makes
cursions into so-called classical realms
is in a musical twilight zone illumined
ither by the communicative spontaneity
jazz nor by the creative depth of lasting
formal music.
Chico Hamilton, a musician of extraor
dinaryv vision and understanding, has almost
licked the problem, largely by selecting his
men and materials with extreme caution
and rare perspicacity. In Hale Smith, Ham-
ition found an arranger who thinks before
he writes; in Dolphy, Hamilton acquired
a remarkable instrumentalist whose com-
mand of horns and musical language ranges
from Hodges and Parker to Kell and Kin-
caid; in the special talents of guitarist
Budimir and cellist Gershman, the leader
added two individual and _ skilled voices,
one jazz-slanted and one classically oriented
but both highly flexible.
Particularly outstanding is reedman Dol-
phy, who thoroughly understands the dis-
parate concepts of pitch and tone that
frequently stand in the way of those who
would deal with both jazz and “legitimate”
techniques. His jazz alto work is surprisingly
fiery and quite good enough alone to
establish Dolphy as a significant contempo-
rary jazzman.
There are occasional lapses into com-
paratively flimsy program music, but the
creative level of this set is generally high.
Milt Jackson
™ BAGS’ OPUS—United Artists UAL 4022:
Ill Wind; Blues for Diahann; Afternoon in Paris;
I Remember Clifford; Thinking of You; Whisper
Not.
Personnel: Jackson, vibes; Art Farmer, trumpet;
Benny Golson, tenor; Tommy Flannagan, piano;
Paul Chambers, bass; Connie Kay, drums.
Rating: kk kk
This is a happy conclave of eloquent
individuals, each of whom possesses an im-
pressive jazz vocabulary with which to say
his piece.
Flannagan, Jackson, and Kay function
together in the intuitive manner often
associated with firstrate “classical” chamber
groups. Chambers and Farmer each com-
bines his flawless musicianship with a sense
of propriety and _ forthrightness that is
highly appealing and appropriate to this
unpretentious session. Golson is rapidly
becoming the most-fun-to-listen-to tenor
man in contemporary jazz. His writing, of
course, is some of the loosest, most swinging
small-band material currently available on
paper.
There are fleeting traces of staleness in
some of Jackson’s work, especially as he
leans on a few worn phrases that have be-
come too much part of him. However,
Jackson is not content to coast on his repu-
tation and in the largest part of this album,
as in most of his current playing, his feel-
ingful conception is a joy to hear.
Kay deserves special commendation for
his supportive background role. He remains
a drummer throughout the date, never at-
tempting to share front-line honors with
the horns and always leaving the way open
for the soloist to play as he wishes. With
jazzmen as capable as these, Kay’s approach
makes a great deal of sense.
€
t
n
(
{
| pectolel3 welt by Ael-toe betes el PRE STIGE
7] ALL
x i KINDS
WEATHER
MILES DAVIS AND THE MODERN JAZZ GIANTS RE b
MILES DAVIS AND
ARLAND
PRLP 7150 ALL KINDS OF WEATHER
THE MODERN JAZZ GIANTS RED GARLAND PRLP 7148
milt jackson
i oled Covencole rm enteyel-a
kenny clarke,
RSTEIS
SOULTRANE
PRESTIONR TAR
BAGS’ GROOVE PRLP 7109 SOULTRANE PRLP 7142
JOHN COLTRANE
ON THE NEW JAZZ LABEL
MAL 3/SOUNDS NJLP 8201 IN A MINOR GROOVE NJLP 8209
MAL WALDRON SEXTET DOROTHY ASHBY/FRANK WESS
ROOTS NJLP 8202 WE THREE NJLP 8210
SULIEMAN, ADAMS, PAYNE, REHAK ROY HAYNES, PHINEAS NEWBORN,
FARMER'S MARKET NJLP 8203 earn sis
ART FARMER JUST WAILIN’ NJLP 8211
HERBIE MANN, KENNY BURRELL,
BIRD FEATHERS NJLP 8204 CHARLIE ROUSE
WOODS, McLEAN, McKUSICK, QUILL McLEAN’S SCENE NJLP 8212
MIDNIGHT OIL NJLP 8205 JACKIE McLEAN
JEROME RICHARDSON ALONE WITH THE BLUES NJLP 8213
REFLECTIONS Nup 8206 RAY BRYANT
STEVE LACY LONG ISLAND SOUND NJLP 8214
STAN GETZ QUARTETS
NEW YORK SCENE NJLP 8207 gig sTyFF NJLP 8215
ALLINGTON, WOODS, BYRD GIL EVANS & BAND
MAL 4/TRIO NJLP 8208 COOLIN’ NJLP 8216
MAL WALDRON TEDDY CHARLES, IDREES SULIEMAN
NEW PRESTIGE RELEASES
12” High Fidelity Albums
COLEMAN HAWKINS/SOUL PRLP 7149 Prestige $4.98—New Jazz $3.98
BLOW ARNETT, BLOW PRLP 7151 Send for FREE Catalog
ARNETT COBB/EDDIE DAVIS
CREEK BANK PRLP 7152 PRESTIGE RECORDS Inc.
MOSE ALLISON
203 Washington Ave.
BLUE STOMPIN’ PRLP 7153
HAL SINGER/CHARLIE SHAVERS
Bergenfield, N. J.
July 9, 1959 © 33
JIMMY SMITH
Houseparty. The world’s greatest jazz or-
ganist with Lee Morgan, Lov Donaldson,
Coleman, Tina Brooks,
Fuller, Kenny Burrell, Eddie McFadden, Art
Blakey, Donald Bailey.
THE THREE SOUNDS
Harris, piano; Andrew Simpkins,
bass; Bill Dowdy, drums. An up-and-coming
young group with a fresh
down-to-earth feeling. Blue Bells, Willow
Weep, It’s Nice, Tenderly, Goin’ Home, etc.
BLUE NOTE 1600
12” LP, List $4.98
Complete Catalog on Request
BLUE NOTE RECORDS INC.
47 West 63rd St., New York 23
jepgbu-metoln=
THE FINEST IN JAZZ
SINCE 1939
A MESSAGE FROM BLAKEY
Holiday For Skins. Art rounds up nine top
incl.
BLUE NOTE 4002
Philly Joe Jones,
Taylor, Sabu; plus Donald Byrd, Ray Bryant
and Wendell Marshall, to lead you through
a colorful “Night in Percussion.” The Feast,
Lamento Africano, Aghano, Mirage.
BLUE NOTE 4004
DOWN BEAT
Ramsey Lewis Trio
® DOWN TO EARTH—Mercury MG 36150:
Dark Eyes; Come Back To Sorrento; Soul Mist;
John Henry; Greensleeves; We Blue It; Some-
time I Feel Like a Motherless Child; Suzanne;
Billy Boy; Decisions.
Personnel: Ramsey Lewis, piano; El Dee Young,
bass; Red Holt, drums.
Rating: *& &&
A thoroughly integrated trio of Chi-
cagoans, this group seems to specialize in
the presentation of what might be termed
sock-'em-in-the -solar-plexus jazz. Lewis is a
good pianist but far from a great jazz
soloist. His outings on the keyboard are
more in the-nature of tonal meanderings
than cohesively constructed statements.
Greensleeves was a misguided effort. It is,
for the most part a 34 adaptation of the
lovely Elizabethan air with some inappro-
priate funk thrown in for good measure.
Strongest track in the set is a bass-based
John Henry, which sets off the driving
picking of El Dee Young and works up
quite a head of steam, in the spirit of the
legendary peopie’s hero.
With so many pianists on record today
with vital and probing declarations to
make in the jazz language, Ramsey Lewis
must be considered merely on the periphery
of serious contribution to the art. But if
you go for good mood piano with a strong
jazz base, give it a listen.
Mundell Lowe All Stars
S ™ PORGY AND BESS—RCA Camden CAS
490: Summertime; Bess, You Is My Woman; I
Love You, Porgy; I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’;
Where's My Bess; Redheaded Woman; My Man's
Gene Now; It Takes a Long Time to Get There;
It Ain't Necessarily So; There's a Boat Dat’s
Leavin’ Soon for New York.
Personnel: George Duvivier, bass; Don Elliott,
mellophone and vibes; Art Farmer, trumpet; Osie
Johnson, drums; Mundell Lowe, guitar; Tony
Scott, baritone sax; Ben Webster, tenor sax.
On I Love You, Porgy, Where’s My Bess and
Boat Dat'’s Leavin’, Ed Shaughnessy plays drums
and vibes, and Farmer, Elliott, Scott and Webster
are out.
Rating: k¥#k&*k*
Mundell Lowe's arrangements of the
Gershwin score are well thought out, and
the individual musicians interpretations
are original without straying away from the
Lowe-planned format. The modern jazz
approach doesn't clash with the basic blues-
feelings inherent in the music. The selec-
tion of musicians for the recording indi-
cates forethought. Webster keeps the main
stream flowing, while the other men range
through various jazz eras up to young mod-
ernist Farmer.
Shaughnessy here makes his record de-
but as a vibraphone soloist on Love You.
His plaving, like Lowe’s guitar, is beau-
tifully conceived and effective.
Machito-Herbie Mann
™ MACHITO WITH FLUTE TO BOOT —
Roulette (Birdland Series) R 52026: Brazilian
Soft Shoe; Love Chant; Afro-Jazziac; Ring A
Levio; Afternoon Death; To Birdland and Hurry;
Calypso John; The African Flute; Bacao; Cara-
bunta; The Davis Cup; Answer Me.
Personnel: Herbie Mann, flutes; Johnny Griffin,
tenor; Curtis Fuller, trombone; Machito and
orchestra (personnel unidentified).
_, Rating: ke kk,
In writing this album, Herbie Mann has
achieved something remarkable in the Afro-
Cuban jazz area—his music has the ring of
authenticity, vet makes an ideal framework
for the hard jazz blowing of Griffin and
Fuller. The close collaboration between the
flutist and Machito is obvious throughout
and the orchestra’s Afro rhythm section is
volcanically sympathetic to the undertaking.
Mann, for whom this is a first fling with
a big band, employs four flutes on various
tracks—the standard C, the alto, the E fiat
and a strange, wondrously timbred African
instrument used on Love Chant and Ti)
African Flute. Yhe finished product, mor
over, must be something of a personal
triumph for the flutist, if only as a brilliant
testimonial to his versatility. Without
dogging the footsteps of the late Esy Mov-
ales, Mann blows with a passion and con-
sistent musical perception.
Tenorist Griffin is enormously powerful
here, blowing with a deep sound and splen-
did, lusty ideas. Fuller was an excellen
choice for third horn and amply justifies his
growing reputation.
Thelonious Monk
M THE THELONIOUS MONK ORCHESTRA
AT TOWN HALL—Riverside RLP 12-300: The-
lonious; Friday the 13th; Monk's Mood; Little
Rootie Tootie; Off Minor; Crepescule with Nei-
_ Monk, leader, pianist, composer;
Donald Byrd, trumpet; Eddie Bert, trombone
Phil Woods, alto; Charlie Rouse, tenor; Pepper
Adams, baritone; Robert Northern, French horn
Jay McAllister, tuba; Sam Jones, bass; Art Tay-
lor, drums. Arrangements by Monk and Hall
Overton.
Rating: *& && &'2
Were it not for sloppy execution, this
rather remarkable album would warrant a
**k&k* rating. Ever since Monk made
his initial impact in jazz, fans and many
of his fellow musicians have awaited the
emergence of a broader canvas for his musi-
cal eccentricities.
Here is that broader canvas, and in many
respects it fufills the long-awaited expecta-
tions. There is ample space for Monk's
seemingly disjointed piano explorations,
but what is more to the point, in view of
the scope and instrumental make-up of
the band, is the area of expression afforded
the superior sidemen.
Thelonious is but a fragment, an intro-
ductory motif to the concert. The othe
five tracks are long enough to permit ex-
tended solos, yet interest is broadened by
the terse, sometimes almost perfunctory,
nature of the arrangements.
All soloists blow up to par, with Adams’
baritone particularly interesting for its
depth of tone and frequent Carney-like
character.
This concert was a historic occasion, and
the album that was culled from it is equally
memorable.
Frankie Ortega/Sy Oliver
™ } 77 SUNSET STRIP—Jubilee SDJLP
1106: Dining at Dino's; 77 Sunset Strip; Kookin
for Kookie; Free Way Mambo; Lady in Distress;
1fter Sunset; Spencer Stakes Out; Sunset Strip-
per; Stu's Muse; What Private Eyes.
-Personnel: Ortega, piano; Charlie Shavers,
Richard Perry, Jimmy Nottingham, Ernie Royal,
trumpets; Frank Sarraci, Lawrence Brown, Red
Leavitt, trombones; George Dorsey, Phil Bod-
ner, Sam Taylor, Seldon Powell, Dave McRae,
Danny Bank, saxophones; Al Chernet or Kenny
Burrell, guitar; Bert Hanson, bass; Walter Sage,
Don Lamond, drums.
Rating: * * *®
The glut of television-private eye jazz al-
bums continues to grow, ever adding more
belching bass trombones, screeching trum-
pets, and insinuating saxophones. The sell-
ing point here is Oliver, whose arrange-
ments are superior to the usual Raymond
Scott-like “jazz” that most viewers seem to
link to sex and sin.
Of particular interest are soloists Brown,
Taylor (an underrated tenor saxophonist)
and altoist Dorsey. Other crack New York
musicians who can be heard are Shavers,
Nottingham, and Powell.
e E fiat
African
nd The
L, more
personal
brilliant
Without
SY Mor-
nd con-
owerlul
d splen-
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tifies his
HESTRA
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trombone
+; Pepper
nch horn;
Art Tay-
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ited the
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.
» SDJILP
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set Strip-
Shavers,
nie Royal,
own, Red
Phil Bod-
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e jazz al-
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The sell-
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; Brown,
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ew York
Shavers,
| ale BYRD-LORE,
WITH BURRELL
FOR DESSERT!
Much excitement lately in the
return of the guitar to an
important jazz role...sparked
by the playing of 2 newcomers
to the limelight, CHARLIE
BYRD and KENNY BUR-
RELL. Kenny’s appearances
with many of New York’s top
club and recording groups has
brought him raves and Char-
lie’s recent work with Woody
Herman and the many air-
shots given his trio from The
Spotlight in Washington, D.C.
have earned him the admira-
tion of musicians. CHARLIE
BYRD, a sometime concert
guitarist who studied with
SEGOVIA, utilizes a classi-
cally rooted technique and
style in his approach to Jazz,
performing on either the
classical, unamplified instru-
ment, or its modern electron-
ically amplified counterpart.
KENNY BURRELL, Detroit
born and bred, plays a strong,
blues-based line that combines
a superior technique with a
spare, “down” style. AND
NOW ... THE COMMER-
CIAL! May we suggest that
pleasure awaits you in the
following albums from these
2 exciting guitar voices:
CHARLIE BYRD has 2 re-
leases, his first, Jazz Recital,
(mg 12099) with flute and
tenor sax added to the basic
trio including Keter Betts,
bass, and Gus Johnson, drums.
On Blues For Night People,
(mg 12116) the trio plays
Byrd’s original suite and sev-
eral standards. On KENNY
BURRELL’S 2 earliest re-
leases, NO ’COUNT, me
12078 and NORTH EAST
: SOUTH WESS, mg /2072 he
SD ema Son
ee
appears in a piano-less rhythm
team with Frank Wess, Frank
Foster, and Basie trombones
j Benny Powell and Henry
Coker. On OPUS IN SWING,
mg 12085 and JAZZ FOR
PLAYBOYS, mg 12095, he’s
still piano-less, backed by
rhythm guitar Freddie Greene
and bass and drums plus Joe
Newman or Frank . Wess.
Pianist Tommy Flanagan joins
the rhythm team on JAZZ-
MEN DETROIT, mg 12083,
featuring Pepper Adams, and
also on one side of STABLE-
MATES, mg 12115, which has
A. K. Salim’s Octet with the
horns of John Griffin, Johnny
Coles, Buster Cooper and
Howard Austin featured. For
Complete Catalog, FREE,
write to Dept. A.
RECORD CO
58 MARKET ST
NEWARK N J
and talent
package
It’s a shame that the money
expended for this commercial
could not have been invested in a purely
musical production. It could have been a
gas.
Paul Quinichette, and others
M LIKE BASIE—United Artists UAL 4024;
Jump the Blues Away; Jump for Me; Like Basie;
The Holy Main; Big D; P.Q.
Personnel: Paul Quinichette, tenor; Harry Edi-
son, Snooky Young, Dick Vance, Shad Collins,
trumpets; Al Grey, trombone; Nat Pierce, piano;
Freddie Greene, guitar; Eddie Jones, bass; Jo
Jones, drums.
Rating: k** *
\ free-and-easy riding session, this Basie
offshoot is full of loose swinging, unpre-
tentious arranging and a lot of good blow-
ing jazz.
Harry Edison, who can say more with
one note of muted trumpet than most men
can in three open choruses, is a shining
example of what relaxed jazz should be.
Quinichette, as leader and primary soloist,
veers between pungency and goofiness as
he attempts a Lesterian reincarnation of
sorts.
And then there’s the rhythm section...
All are together, en rapport, and the living
is easy. And one is prompted to toy with
the idea of brainwashing Basie into co-
ercing Jo Jones back into the band. It’s
that good.
Despite the addition of a trumpet section
to the tenor and trombone for the apparent
purpose of simulating brassy Basieitis, this
is not a superficially exciting album. Rather
it sways from the hips, unforced, loose and
easy—and succeeds in the benign purpose
of revisiting Kansas City. What could be a
more laudable motive?
Pete Rugolo
™,S RUGOLO PLAYS KENTON — Mercury
36143: Eager Beaver; Painted Rhythm; Minor
Riff; Concerto for Doghouse; Sunset Tower; Con-
certo to End All Concertos; Artistry in Rhythm;
Opus in Pastels; Theme to the West; Artistry in
Boogie; Capitol Punishment.
Personnel: (Tracks 1, 7 and 12) Al Porcino,
Ollie Mitchell, Buddy Childers and Don Fager-
quist, trumpets; Milt Bernhart, Frank Rosolino,
Harry Betts and Kenny Shroyer, trombones; Bud
Shank, Harry Klee, Bob Cooper, Dave Pell and
Chuck Gentry, saxes; Claude Williamson, piano;
Howard Roberts, guitar; Don Bagley, bass; Red
Callender, tuba; Shelly Manne, drums. Dick Nash
replaces Betts on trombone on all other tracks.
Rating: * * *'2
Arranger Pete Rugolo here pays tribute
to his old boss with re-voiced arrangements
of some of the Kenton favorites of the
1940s. As the personnel list indicates, some
of the best of musicians available on the
west coast were assembled to do the disc,
many of whom had worked for Kenton in
the past. Indeed, there is some irony in
this. One of these men claimed when he
left the band that blowing the Kenton
book had given him a hernia; another of
them once said working for Stan had been
like “chopping wood.”
So much for history; the men do very
well by these redecorated Kenton tunes, all
of which were by Kenton or Kenton-Rugolo.
Rugolo’s new arrangements, though good
in the main, tend to too much color at
times, and occasionally to questionable in-
strumentation. Many of the passages for
flute and oboe (presumably played by
Shank and Cooper) seem peculiarly effete
in the context of Kenton’s muscular writ-
ings. Elsewhere, though, really at-
tractive things are contributed by the two
delicate instruments, particularly in Opus
some
PENNIES
---in five albums!
In
lan
Stereo! All the great, rousing Dixie-
d tunes (and more!) that Red and the
boys play in their just-released film biog-
raphy, “The Five Pennies,” with Danny
Ka
ld
The
shi
arrar
the old days of
Red's rollicking
Dixieland music,
T 1051
in love with Red _
ane temas Red adds strings
ta and reeds to his
<a > usual jaunty jazz.
+ .~. Abrand-new mood
‘a ’ r * that's a listening
‘ and dancing dream,
, a T 999
Red's blazing horn
and the Pennies
don't quit for over
six minutes in two
of
they're famous for.
all
from
“at oo
ye and Louis Armstrong. ST 1228*
Red Nichols
Two-beat madness
in one whale of a
live session at
a famed aquatic
playground by the
Pacific. In Stereo,
ST 1163*
PARADE
, OF THE »
Pennies really PENNIES %
ne with eleven
ygements from
these 10 tunes
T 775
| also available monophonically
July 9. 1959 @
fessional
tial in his portfolio.
degree courses, tuition
ters: Spring, Summer,
Arranging Course, and
Name
Address
City
AMERICA
DAVID DRUCE OL-
SON, Columbus,
Ohio, says: “I rec-
ommend WESTLAKE
to anyone ambitious
for a professional
career in modern
music. Its excellent
teachers and top
courses make WEST-
LAKE the best of its
kind in the world!”
Dave played in his
high school concert
and dance bands, the
37th Infantry Divi-
sion Ohio National
Guard Dance Band,
his own combo and various local groups.
Olson will graduate from WESTLAKE a pro-
musician with a success poten-
Send for free catalog. 2 yr. diploma and 4 yr.
includes 2 private les-
sons ea. week. Daily band and combo, dorms,
payment plan, appr. for vets. 3 starting semes-
Fall. Also Home Study
Summer Dance Band
Clinic for High School Students 4 wks.
WESTLAKE COLLEGE OF MUSIC
7190 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood 46, Calif.
(DB7959)
a Leds
5336
AUDIO ODYSSEY BY ARGO
(available in stereo)
ARGO RECORDS
2120 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago 16, Ill.
627 N.
—
Records shipped anywh
\ MODERN MUSIC
KINGSHIGHWAY
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ALL RECORDS REVIEWED IN DOWN BEAT
AVAILABLE THRU US—OUR SERVICE IS FAST
All records shipped are factory fresh. Send for de-
tails on your bonus offer of FREE JAZZ LPs.
Foreign Orders Welcome
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$1.00 Deposit on CODs/No CODs Overseas
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!! SPECIAL !!
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Special price now available for all
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Phila., Pa.
$1.00 Deposit on C.O.D.
36 © DOWN BEAT
in Pastels—even if one does long nostal-
gically for the Kenton reed sound that was
so closely associated with the composition.
Hal Schaefer
(® TEN SHADES OF BLUE—United Artists
UAS 6021: Blues for Goin’ Home; Basin Street
Blues; Memphis Blues; Blues for My Leah; Tin
Roof Biues; Caribbean Blues; Bye, Bye Biues;
Wabash Biues; Beale Street Blues; I’ve Got a
Right to Play the Blues.
Personnel: Schaefer, piano; Morty Lewis, tenor,
bass clarinet; Chet Amsterdam, bass; Charlie
Persip, drums; Ted Sommer, percussion.
Rating: * *'2
Externally, everything about this package
—bad cover, foolish notes, trite a&r idea,
erroneous title listing, undistinguished cast
—promises an unpleasant listening experi-
ence. It is, in fact, a rather agreeable, if
erratic, concoction of polite barrelhouse,
skillful Schaefer arrangements, and a few
fairly convincing Lewis solos.
Several tracks are taken up by meander-
ing Schaefer piano solos, an idea that prob-
ably was adopted in order to keep produc-
tion expenses down.
Though the music has its moments,
United Artists should be able to come up
with better merchandise than this.
George Shearing
f)} SHEARING ON STAGE!—Capitol ST 1187:
September in the Rain; On the Street Where You
Live; Roses of Picardy; Little Niles; Caravan;
I'll Remember April; Little White Lies; East of
the Sun; Nothing But D Best.
Personnel: Shearing, piano; Emil Richards,
vibes; Jean Thielemans, guitar, harmonica; Al
McKibben, bass; Armando Peraza and Percy
Brice, drums.
Rating: * *®
This recording faithfully captures the
in-person sounds of one of the most boring
jazz bands on today’s scene. Always slick
and competent, this edition of the Shearing
quintet/sextet has only the throbbing bass
work of McKibbon (long since departed
from the band) to distinguish it from in-
numerable other albums of harmless back-
ground jazz.
Afro-Cuban drummer Peraza perks up
the concert briefly, but the rest is charac-
teristic electronic twaddle, broken now and
then by witless comments from the leader.
For never-say-die Shearing addicts,
though, this one probably will fill the bill.
Don Shirley
DON SHIRLEY—Audio Fidelity AFLP 1897:
One More for the Road; Satin Doll; Somebody
Loves; Nearness of You; Easy Living; The Way
You Look Tonight; Blues for Basses; Happy Talk;
This Nearly Was Mine; Dites Moi; | Remember
April; Black Is The Color.
Personnel: Shirley, piano; two basses unidenti-
fied. E
Rating: * *
More emphasis on popular music and less
scavenging in classical junkpiles make this
Shirley record slightly more bearable than °
earlier ones. There is a fellow at New York's
Museum of Modern Art Film Auditorium
who plays this sort of jazz. He is especially
good on Birth of a Nation, Intolerance, and
Harold Lloyd epics. We doubt Don Shirley
could do a crackerjack job on Way Down
East.
Horace Silver
™ FINGER POPPIN’ WITH THE HORACE
SILVER QUINTET —Blue Note 4008: Finger
Poppin’; Juicy Lucy; Swingin’ the Samba; Sweet
Stuff; Cookin’ at the Continental; Come on Home;
You Happened My Way; Mellow D.
Personnel: Silver, piano; Blue Mitchell, trum-
pet; Junior Cook, tenor; Eugene Taylor, bass;
Louis Hayes, drums.
Rating: & &k& *&k *
This is hard-swinging jazz from New
York, blessed by good soloists and a rhythm
section as effective as the drummer is dy.
namic.
Although trumpeter Mitchell has re.
corded previously, this appears to be tenor
man Cook’s debut on record. The latter
shows himself to be an intense, thoughtful,
and constructive soloist, not in a hurry
to say his piece and making his contrilu-
tions mean something.
Finger is a frantic opener with the speed
of the tempo vanquishing the over-all ef-
fect. In short, its effect is largely lost. Juicy
is a more moderate-tempoed lope based on
a simple modern line with meaningful
solos.
The Samba is an absorbing excursion
of unusual construction into Afro-Cuban
lore. The chorus runs 16 bars, 16 bars,
and a six-bar bridge followed by a final
16 bars. It’s an adventuresome outing for
the collective and the individual.
After the fast blues, Cookin’, there's a
laconic journey into funk on Home with
some typically spare Silver piano. Jou
Happened is a fine showcase for Mitchell's
full trumpet in slow, balladic manner,
and the concluding Mellow is up and
stomping with Cook flexing his muscles,
The Trombones, Inc.
™,S) THE TROMBONES, INC. — WARNER
BROTHERS WS 1272: Neckbones; Dues Blues;
Long Before I Knew You; Soft Winds; Tee Jay;
Lassus Trombone; It's All Right with Me; Polka
Dots and Moonbeams; Old Devil Moon; Impos-
sible; Heat Wave.
Personnel: (Side One) Frank Rehak, Jimmy
Cleveland, Eddie Bert, Benny Powell, Bob Brook-
meyer, Melba Liston, Henry Coker and Benny
Green, trombones; Dick Hickson and Bart Var-
salona, bass trombones; Hank Jones, piano; Wen-
dell Marshall, bass; Osie Johnson, drums; with
Bob Alexander replacing Coker, and Milt Hinton
repacing Marshall on Dues Blues and Soft Winds;
Green and Alexander dropped on Long Before and
Tee Jay, but Coker added. (Side Two) George
Roberts, Joe Howard, Herbie Harper, Frank
Rosolino, Dick Nash, Ken Shroyer, Ed Kusby,
Tommy Pederson, Murray McEachern and Marshall
Cram, trombones; Red Mitchell, bass; Mel Lewis,
drums; Mike Pacheco, bongos; Barney Kessel,
guitar, Marty Paich, piano, Warren Barker, leader
on Lassus Trombone, Devil Moon and Impossible;
Bob Enevoldsen Roberts, Howard, Rosolino, Milt
Bernhart, Bob Fitzpatrick, Dave Wells and Lou
McCreary, Stu Williamson, trombones; John Kitz-
miller, tuba; Mitchell, bass; Lewis, drums, on
Polka Dots, It's All Right and Heat Wave.
Rating: k¥ke¥k*Kk*
If our arithmetic is correct, 27 trombonists
participated in the making of this disc—
divided into two groups, one on the west
coast, the other on the east, and subdivided
further by substitutions. The product is (a)
a veritable Who’s Who of modern jazz
trombone players, (b) a remarkable exer-
cise in virtuosity for arrangers Johnson,
Paich and Barker, (c) a revelation of the
richness of trombone, and (d), some sort
of apex in the career of the trombone itself.
There are 15th century paintings that
show the instrument largely as it is today.
But is wasn't until the early 19th century
that composers, including Berlioz, began to
explore its possibilities. And it remained for
the jazz musicians of 20th century America
to find out what trombones could really
do. If you doubt that, listen to any average
symphony trombonist struggling through
the solo in Ravel's Bolero, even today.
This record is a great tribute to the skill
and authority jazz musicians developed on
the instrument. It is perhaps impossible to
sort out the individual performances on
this disc to cite them for merit, but solos
and ensemble work are due for high praise.
It is safe to say that no instrument but
trombone has the variety of colors to per
mit a 1c
the possil
have |'aic
them, ‘ha
tions, rar
trombones
but troiml
snuck in f
The Hi
that ‘sine
pos! nm ore
a truc leg
bone Its
before the
Lem
@ LEM \
LEWIS TR
It Is; Sand
Happen to
Boysi«
Personnel
El Dee Yor
A poli
Del., and
join force
Clifford B
most soul-
it does pr
ing and ¢
the realize
Winches
follower, c
role of lea
some of w
(Joy Sprin
nals; A Mi
peter’s tea
Working
pianist an
other espe
all his ten
of the slo
performer
personality
The stro
for all his
imaginative
JA
® AT HIS
RCA Victor
for Cootie;
Blues; Chloe
Ko-Ko; Blac
Call; Transb
Personnel :
1944, 1946,
A very i
lection, the
lights thre
tunes by th
many criti
most exciti
Duke Ellin
The grea
Blanton is
and Across
classic, Was
original Co
of the trac
trombone ¢
But perh
that this sel
available o
corded exc
Originally i
hegiec Hall
mer is dy-
l has re
o be tenor
The latter
houghtful,
1 a hurry
§ contribu.
the Spx ed
»ver-all ef-
lost. Juicy
e based on
meaningful
excursion
Afro-Cuban
;, 16° bars,
by a final
outing for
l.
there's a
dome with
iano. ou
r Mitchell's
c manner,
is up and
muscles,
— WARNER
Dues Blues;
ds; Tee Jay;
h Me; Polka
loon; Impos-
ehak, Jimmy
. Bob Brook-
- and Benny
id Bart Var-
piano; Wen-
drums; with
Milt Hinton
Soft Winds;
1¢ Before and
Two) George
arper, Frank
, Ed Kusby,
and Marshall
; Mel Lewis,
arney Kessel,
tarker, leader
d Impossible;
‘osolino, Milt
ells and Lou
s; John Kitz-
s, drums, on
t Wave.
trombonists
this
m the west
subdivided
»duct is (a)
nodern jazz
‘kable exer-
rs Johnson,
ition of the
some sort
nbone itself.
intings that
it is today.
9th century
»z, began to
emained for
iry America
sould really
any average
ng through
today.
to the skill
eveloped on
mpossible to
rmances on
it, but solos
high praise.
rument but
lors to per
disc—
mit a :ecording like this. So enormous are
the possibilities of trombone, and so well
have !’aich, Barker and Johnson exploited
them, ‘hat you rarely miss the other sec-
tions, rarely realize that you're hearing
trombones, Only trombones, and nothing
but trombones (except for that tuba Paich
snuck in for three tracks) .
Ihe Harvard Dictionary of Music says
that “since the movement from position to
position requires a certain amount of time,
a truc legato is not possible on the trom-
hone. Its editor had better hear this disc
before the next edition is prepared.
Lem Winchester-Ramsey Lewis
w LEM WINCHESTER AND THE RAMSEY
LEWIS TRIO—Argo LP 642: Joy Spring; Where
It Is; Sandu; Once in Awhile; Jordu; It Could
Happen to You; Easy to Love; A Message from
Boysic
Personnel: Winchester, vibes; Lewis, piano;
El Dee Young, bass; Red Holt, drums.
Rating: * & *&
4 policeman-vibist from Wilmington,
Del., and a trio of Chicago origin here
join forces to play a tribute to the late
Clifford Brown. What results is not the
most soul-stirring modern jazz around, but
it does provide some very pleasant listen
ing and combines delicacy of touch with
the realized desire to swing.
Winchester, an admitted Milt Jackson
follower, clearly reveals his influence in his
role of lead soloist in this octet of tunes,
some of which are associated with Brown
(Joy Spring and Sandu are Brown origi-
nals; A Message was written by the trum
peter’s teacher, Robert [Boysie] Lowery) .
Working sympathetically together, the
pianist and the vibist complement each
other especially well on the ballads. For
all his tendency to noodle on the changes
of the slow tunes, Lewis appears to be a
performer of taste with a rather wispy
personality of his own.
The strong man here is Winchester who,
for all his Bags-obligation, is a driving and
imaginative improvisor.
JAZZ REISSUES
Duke Ellington
® AT HIS VERY BEST—DUKE ELLINGTON:
RCA Victor LPM-1715: Jack the Bear; Concerto
for Cootie; Harlem Air Shaft; Across the Track
Blues; Chloe; Royal Garden Blues; Warm Valley;
Ko-Ko; Black, Brown, and Beige; Creole Love
Call; Transblucency.
Personnel: Ellington
1944, 1946,
orchestras of 1927, 1940,
Rating: kKk& kKk*
\ very interesting and worthwhile col-
lection, these reissues represent some high-
lights through the years—including five
tunes by the great band of 1940—from what
many critics have judged the best and
most exciting period in the history of the
Duke Ellington orchestra.
The great bass work of the late Jimmy
Blanton is heard on Chloe, Jack the Bear,
and Across the Track. Johnny Hodges’ alto
classic, Warm Valley, and Cootie Williams’
original Concerto, are included. On several
of the tracks can be heard the growling
trombone of the late Tricky Sam Nanton.
But perhaps most important is the fact
that this set makes Black, Brown, and Beige
available once more. These are the re-
corded excerpts of the 50-minute work,
Originally introduced (in 1948) at a Car-
hegic Hall concert. Here again is Tricky
Sam and the bass playing of the late Alvin
(Junior) Raglin, plus Otto Hardwick's
alto and Al Sears’ tenor.
Iwo numbers featuring Duke’s original
use of voices, 20 years apart in time, make
up the pair of tunes at the end of the
record, The first, Creole Love Call, re-
corded in 1927, features the voice of Ade-
laide Hall and the trumpet of Bubber
Miley. The other, a 1946 work, Transpar-
ency, is built around the voices of Kay
Davis and Joya Sherrill.
This record should be in every jazz
library.
Josh White
M CHAIN GANG SONGS — Elektra 158:
Trouble; 'Twas on a Monday; Going Home, Boys;
Nine-Foot Shovel; Crying Who? Crying You; Dip
Your Fingers in the Water; The Old Ship of
Zion; Mary Had a Baby; Did You Ever Love a
Woman?; Every Time I Feel the Spirit.
Personnel: White, vocal and guitar; four voices
unidentified; drums and bass unidentified. Add
Beverly White, vocal, on tracks 8 and 10.
Rating: *& * ‘2
There seems to be a growing disregard
for the intelligent listener among those
smaller record companies that traditionally
have catered to and nourished the “purist”
folk music and jazz fan.
Here is a slick package called Chain Gang
that is only half chain gang songs;
here is Josh White smothered by a choir
of four singers who sound as if they learned
about chain gangs in New Haven or Cam-
bridge; here is a sensitive guitarist done
in by a drummer who plays like a high-
kick specialist in a burlesque house.
Josh performs well, but the latter around
him pulls the rating down. There is some-
thing disturbing about the cover, too. Per-
haps it’s that studio lighting behind the
“convict” illuminating the blond hairs on
his shackled legs against the blue crepe
paper backdrop.
POPULAR
Edie Adams
® MUSIC TO LISTEN TO RECORDS BY
(EDIE ADAMS SINGS?)—M-G-M E3751: Whif-
fenpoof Song; All of a Sudden My Heart Sings;
School Days; Indian Love Call; Blue Tail Fly;
Serenade; Stout-Hearted Men; Singin’ in the
Rain; Paradise; Autumn Leaves; Tip Toe through
the Tulips; Lo, Hear the Gentle Lark.
Personnel: Edie Adams, vocals; orchestra con-
ducted by Henry Mancini.
Rating: * *&'2
Parts of this album are extremely funny;
just mildly amusing. Mrs.
Ernie Kovacs (Edie Adams) is noted for her
impersonations of one Marilyn Monroe. She
does that bit here, too, in Whiffenpoof. At
least it sounds like MM until
that Miss Adams invests later
the same vocal quality. That
the to the
Still, treatment of the folk
chestnut, Blue Tail Fly is a devastating
take-off on the ingenue’ guitar-flogging
balladeer trying awfully hard to sound pro-
fessional. Her Stout-Hearted Men is enough
to roll Nelson Eddy in the aisle, and Singin’
In the Rain gets swept away in a_back-
ground rainstorm while Miss Adams
pears to be catching her death of cold.
hose are some of the highspots. Taken
as a whole, though, it’s a bit much.
Songs
most of it is
realizes
with
seems to be
one
songs
main drawback record.
Miss Adams’
ap-
+.
JAZZ A
RAVINIA
HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS
Music Under The Stars
ES BROW
and his Band
of Renown
JULY 8-10
8:30 pm
Coming: Kingston Trio plus Gerry Mulligan
July 22 & 24; Story of Blues with Clara
Ward, Franz Jackson, John Davis, John
Sellers, Studs Terkel August 5 & 7
Admission to Park $1.50
1,000 Unreserved Free Seats
Free Parking — Free Art Exhibit
Phones: Northern Suburbs ID 2-1236
Chicago ST 2-9696
After 5 PM HO 5-7600
BILL PAGE
plays a
clarinet
This popular Lawrence Welk bandsman
is one of today’s most talented reed in-
strument artists ...and from bassoon
to piccolo, his favorite is Conn.
For more information about
Conn clarinets or any of
the Conns that Bill plays in
his Dot album, “Page 14,"
see your local Conn dealer
or write.
CONN CORPORATION
Dept. J-3305 Elkhart, indiana
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Al
Hirt
One of the top
exponents of
‘swinging Dixie.
Currently
ding his own
band and
-fecording
sessions. A
\peter since
“Committee
jodel Martin.
a ' : rs
“Oi OD 4
C FLUTES E> SOPRANO FLUTES G ALTO FLUTES PICCOLOS
Estimates for engraving
and printing gladly furnished ® Any publisher our WUe/t
reference © Highest rated in the United States
2801 WEST 47TH STREET * CHICAGO 32, ILLINOIS
38 © DOWN BEAT
Buddy Cole
™ SLEEPY TIME GAL — Warner Bros, W
1265: Lover, Come Back to Me; You Tovk Ad.
vantage of Me; Mean to Me; Almost in Your
Arms; Fulfillment; Love Me or Leave Me; If
I Could Be with You; Sleepy Time Gal: No
Other Love; Chloe; Indian Summer; It Happened
in Monterey.
Personnel: Cole, piano; rhythm section uniden-
tified.
Rating: * *& *
Long-time accompanist on records and
radio to Bing Crosby and, latterly, Rose-
mary Clooney, Cole is no “stylist” in the
sense that Roger Williams may be s0
described.
He plays clean, well-sculpted piano and
concentrates on solid musical values rather
than florid pyrotechnics. The result in
this set of varied melodies is a most pleas-
ant album of popular piano music suitable
for most occasions where concentrated lis-
tening is not required.
Johnny Costa
™ & IN MY OWN QUIET WAY — Dot
DLP25167: In My Own Quiet Way; Stairway te
the Stars; I'll Never Be the Same; Impossible;
The Night We Called It a Day; A Last Goodbye;
So Long; Colorado Waterfall; So Much So Very
Much; Kiss and Run; Mercedes Bends; Singa-
pore Sling.
Personnel: Costa, piano, with orchestra.
Rating: *¥ * *&
Two qualities stand out in the piano
playing and arranging of Costa—taste and
finesse. Backed by a small string orchestra,
with an occasional accordion or harmonica
thrown in, the Pittsburgh pianist presents
an initial album of softly keyed late-night
music.
To judge by his touch and _ phrasing,
Costa would appear to be no stranger to
jazz. But this set is as far removed from
jazz as can be imagined. It’s nice cocktail
music with strings, unpretentious, and suit-
able to play during dinner.
Rey DeMichel
j™ COOKIN’ WITH REY—Challenge CHL 608:
Meet Rey; How Long Has This Been Going On?;
The Continental; Brahms Lullaby; ’S’ Wonder-
ful; Rey’s Theme; When You're Smiling; Bal-
lad; Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams; Deep
Purple; Mellow Swing; The Breeze and 1;
Chaser.
Personnel: DeMichel, leader; Lanny Morgan,
Jay Corre, Jack Kernan, Dave Madden, saxo-
phones; Marv Brown, Irv Bush, Ollie Mitchell,
trumpets; Dave Wells, trombone and bass trum-
pet; Ed Freudenberg, trombone; Dick Grove,
piano; Buddy Matlock, guitar; Jack Smalley,
bass; Roy Roten, drums.
Rating: kK¥*k& k*
DeMichael, a 31-year-old leader of terri-
tory bands around Ohio, recently settled on
the west coast and has been working his
14-piecer in the Los Angeles area for some
months.
Thanks to an alliance with young ar-
ranger John DeFoor, DeMichel here de-
buts on record a better-than-average dance
album with strong jazz overtones. The dif-
ferent tracks are enhanced by the good solo
work of bass trumpeter Wells, altoist
Morgan and tenor man Corre. Morgan, in
particular impresses as a jazz altoist of
great promise.
DeFoor’s arrangements are uncomplex,
basically swinging conceptions. He shows 4
tendency, however, toward indecision about
where to stop, which results in some
prolonged codas without any real point.
The rhythm section keeps the time im
place and, due to Matlock’s guitar, achieves
a punching quality that should prove
quite popular with dancers.
The Rec
1, June ¢
golo, «
That
arrange’
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and this
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Pete Ki
Is this
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ction uniden-
records and
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list” in the
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| piano and
alues rather
> result in
most pleas-
usic suitable
entrated lis-
WAY — Dot
y; Stairway to
>; Impossible;
Last Goodbye;
Much So Very
Bends; Singa-
rchestra.
1 the piano
ta—taste and
ng orchestra,
xr harmonica
nist’ presents
ed late-night
nd phrasing,
) stranger to
moved from
nice cocktail
ous, and suit-
enge CHL 608:
en Going On?;
»; °S’ Wonder-
Smiling; Bal-
Dreams; Deep
freeze and I;
Lanny Morgan,
Madden, saxo-
Ollie Mitchell,
and bass trum-
Dick Grove,
Jack Smalley,
ader of terri-
tly settled on
. working his
area for some
th young ar-
chel here de-
average dance
ones. The dif-
the good solo
Wells, altoist
e. Morgan, in
azz altoist of
e uncomplex,
s. He shows 4
decision about
ults in some
1y real point.
; the time in
uitar, achieves
should prove
©. the blindfold test
‘June Christy has big eors.. .°
The Records
1, June Christy. Day Dream (Capitol). Pete Ru-
golo, arranger.
That was June Christy . . . The
arrangement was Pete Rugolo’s. I
like the tune — it’s one of my favor-
ite tunes. It’s the first time I’ve heard
the verse, although I’ve recorded
the tune.
I thought the arrangement was
wonderful — I liked the change of
key, which always creates interest. |
think June Christy has big ears, as
they say in the trade. She hears very
well. I don’t want to be prejudiced
because I recorded the tune myself,
and this is pretty difficult. I'll give
it 314.
2, Julie London. Mad About the Boy (Liberty).
Pete King, conductor, arranger.
Is this Helen Merrill? My guess is
Helen Merrill, but I’m probably
wrong. I thought for a minute it
might be Julie London . . . It has
that soft — maybe I shouldn’t use
the term — “bedroom quality” in the
voice. I like this type of appeal in a
voice. I love the arrangement, by the
way, and I also wish I had recorded
that set of lyrics. I've never heard
them before. I'll give that four stars.
3. Gigi Gryce. Love for Sale (Riverside). Gryce,
alto; Art Taylor, drums; Donald Byrd, trum-
pet.
Being jazz-minded, I have to give
this five stars. I think it’s Art
Blakey on drums and Donald Byrd
on trumpet. I don’t know who the
alto player is. I like the treatment of
the tune very much... This is my
By Leonard Feather
jumping.
type of jazz — progressive. This is an
idea I've always had for Love for Sale
—this flavor of the thing . . . This
treatment gives it a continental at-
mosphere.
4. Peggy Lee. My Man (Capitol).
That was Peggy Lee. This is a
good commercial quality treatment
of this tune, and, of course, we know
it’s going to sell because Peggy re-
corded the tune. I must also say that
I’m prejudiced against this arrange-
ment because I like Harry Arnold’s
much better. I would give it three
stars.
5. Lurlean Hunter. That Old Feeling (Vik). Ernie
Wilkins, arranger.
It’s technically perfect. The ar-
rangement doesn’t get in the way of
the singer .. . I like Lurlean Hunter
— I don’t think she can make a bad
record. I'll give this five stars.
6. Marilyn Moore. [il Wind (Bethlehem).
This is obviously someone who
loves Billie Holiday. I’d like to have
heard her sustain some of the tones
a little more. If there ever comes a
time when a carbon copy of some-
thing sells . . . this singer here will
be another Billie Holiday. This is
one of my favorite tunes . three
stars... 1 think it’s Marilyn Moore,
and as I said, I’d like to hear her
sustain the notes longer
7. George Wein. Did | Remember? (Atlantic).
Wein, piano, vocal; Ruby Braff, trumpet;
Sam Margolis, tenor.
I heard about an album Kenny
Dorham did vocally, and I said to
This was Miss Anderson’s first
given no information about the records, all of which featured
tunes that are also heard on her Mercury Hot Cargo LP.
Ernestine Anderson
Sometimes it takes a trip overseas to bring honor in one’s
own country. It happened that way more than three decades
ago with Josephine Baker; it seems to have been the case more
recently in the case of a young woman from Houston, Texas,
named Ernestine Irene Anderson.
Although she had toured with moderate success in the bands
of Russell Jacquet, Johnny Otis, and Lionel Hampton, and
had been heard very briefly on a Gigi Gryce LP, Ernestine was
more or less an unknown in this country until, in the spring
of 1955, the Swedish trumpeter Rolf Ericson asked her to join
a combo he was taking over to tour Scandinavia.
An LP she made with Harry Arnold while in Stockholm
was released in the United States; critic Ralph Gleason climbed
enthusiastically onto her bandwagon, and soon things started
Blindfold Test. She was
myself, “If I hear a trumpet, then
I'll know.” But this trumpet sounds
like Sweets Edison, whom I like very
much, incidentally. It could be
Kenny Dorham for all I know. I
thought I recognized the saxophone
player — he sounds a lot like Pres
in spots. The piano is of a different
school. I like it for the type it is...
I like the instruments better than I
do the vocal, which I don’t like at
all. On the whole, 21% stars.
8. Kay Starr. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams
(Victor). Hal Mooney, arranger.
That doesn’t kill me. I like Kay
Starr — things I’ve heard her do
before. But I don’t particularly care
for this record. She usually belts and
is really strong, and the fire from the
old Kay Starr is missing here. This is
a good tempo... The arrangement
isn’t saying too much — it’s just a
typical arrangement built around a
vocal. Two stars.
9. Jonathan and Darlene Edwards. Autumn in
New York (Columbia). Paul Weston, piano;
Jo Stafford, vocal.
Do you want an opinion on that?
Well! I wonder where she found the
accompanist! The first thing that
pops in my mind is, would they write
down the things they were playing?
... After about the fourth martini,
I imagine this is how they would
sound. I’ve never heard it betore,
but I heard Jo Stafford had done an
album like this. 1 wondered what
she could do to Autumn in New
York. It’s a humorous thing. it’s an
art in itself to sing that out of tune.
I was sitting here wondering if J
could manage that!
July 9, 1959 @ 39
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GOBBY HACKETT — One of the prominent
stars who play Besson brasses
DOWN BEAT
40 e
(Continued from Page 27)
Grommes, an economy-priced ampli-
fier, at the time he had it. He had
heard that some of the less expen-
sive units did not stand up in service
as well as the expensive ones.
Len Chase showed him the Mc-
Intosh deluxe stereo preamp-control
center with its impressive lighted
pointers and very flexibile controls.
“It’s a toss-up between this Mac unit
and the Marantz super preamp-con-
sole,” said Len. “You can’t go wrong
with either if you want the very best.
However, if you prefer slightly more
conservative equipment, built as well
but with fewer knobs, you might
consider the Leak ‘Point One’ Stereo
preamp. It’s made in England, and
will drive any two power ampli-
fiers.”
Stearns said, “I'd like the Leak, I
think; let’s look at it.’”’
They went to the front of the
well-equipped store where a Leak
amplifier system was on display, and
Len pointed out it’s features. He es-
pecially noted the smooth heavy feel
of the control knobs. He said,
“When they rate an amplifier at 12
or 20 watts you know it is as good
as many 18 to 35 watt American
units. Lots of experts say, “Chis amp
is rated at 15 British watts’ and you
know what they mean.”
Stearns decided to take this rec-
ommendation and, in addition, to
get the Leak stereo 20 amplifier, a
rugged though compact dual power
amplifier, conservatively rated at 12
watts per channel.
Then he looked at disc players.
Stearns liked the Thorens automatic
player, admiring its appearance and
variable speed. But he had had a
Garrard for several years, and when
Len showed him that the Garrard
RC-98 had a variable speed control
to allow synchronizing pitch with
piano or do-it-yourself, add-a-part
records, Dr. Stearns said: “That's
the one I want. It’s got most of the
advantages of a turntable, but I like
a changer, and it’s got that too.”
Len added up the figures for the
Leak preamp and the Garrard,
added on the price of a Shure M7-D
stereo pickup, and said, “It costs
only $45. You ought to add another
$25 for miscellaneous cables, switches
| and an installation, bringing it to
about $395.50.” He got the o.k., and
Dr. Stearns new stereo setup was on
its way.
(Continued from Page 26)
This system would have the tape
running very slowly, at 17% inches
a second, slower than any tape ma-
chine now. Could be another 33-ys,-
45-rpm war?
But it'll be many months before
cartridge tape will be available,
Tape running at 714 inches a second
will continue to provide the best in
high fidelity stereo sound for a long
time to come.
Meanwhile, tape recorder makers
are off on another track; five firms,
already are turning out conventional
recorders that can play four-track,
open-reel tapes. This, of course, dou-
bles the amount of sound that can be
recorded on a two-track tape and
brings the price of recorded tapes
down.
Fig. 4. Pilot SC-1120 stereo console, all-in-one,
Includes Garrard RC-88 changer with GE pickup
cartridge and diamond stylus, two 30-watt
amplifiers, FM and AM tuners for stereo broad-
casts, and two complete speaker systems with
three speakers in each. $1050.
Competition from stereo discs is
still strong, however. It remains to
be seen whether four-track, open-reel
tape will make any loud noise on the
home entertainment scene.
Off the subject of tape and disc
playback equipment, one can’t leave
‘the NAMM show this year without
noting the portable chord organ
phenomenon. At least 25 different
makes of portable chord organs,
ranging in price from $99 to $300,
will be exhibited.
The organs themselves aren’t much
more than an accordion with a vacu-
um cleaner motor instead of a bel-
lows. They’re not electronic; they're
reed-operated. And, according to the
promotion put behind them, you
don’t have to be a musician to play
one. All you have to do is be able
to count up to 12. *
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caught in the act
J. J. JOHNSON QUINTET
Basin Street East, New York, N.Y.
Personnel: J. J. Johnson, trombone;
Clif Jordan, tenor sax; Albert Heath,
drums: Cedar Walton, piano; James
De Brest, bass.
The new Basin Street East is at-
tempting to occupy a middle ground
midway between Broadway's Bird-
land and the intimacy of the Em-
bers. The quiet subtlety of the J. J.
Johnson group is well-suited to this
purpose. They play good listen-
able jazz without being too aggres-
sive about it.
The first set on opening night
started with Tune Up, which is just
about what the title indicates—a
warming-up exercise. Cole Porter's
I've Got You Under My Skin fol-
lowed and J.J.’s interpretation of
Star Dust. It is interesting to con-
trast the latter with the beautiful
version waxed by the late Jack Jen-
ney more than a decade ago. J.J.’s
facile playing of it, so very much
in the modern vein, was so much
more creative.
To balance out the set, there was
an original blues, Blue Haze, intro-
duced by Cedar Walton's piano. For
the closing number, the trombone
virtuoso played his theme in its en-
tirety—Turnpike. Later sets included
Night in Tunisia, featuring on
drums Albert Heath, a brother of
bass-player Percy Heath of the Mod-
ern Jazz Quartet. Throughout the
numbers, tenor saxophonist Clifford
Jordan traded choruses with J.J. He
was particularly effective on the
Sonny Rollins original Decision.
Johnson also played his original
tune entitled Daily Double and a
sensitive version of God Bless The
Child during the evening.
The date was J.J.’s first full book-
ing in a New York night spot since
he was issued his new identity card
to work clubs in the city. (See Down
Beat, June 25, and New York Ad
Lib, this issue.) He leaves Basin
Street East for other bookings in the
area, and then on a busy tour.
RUTH OLAY
The Cloister, Hollywood
Personnel: Ruth Olay, vocals; Bud
Motsinger, piano; Terry Gibbs orch.
For its second bill of tare since
opening the portals last month, the
Cloister brought back to her native
west coast a singer whose salesman-
ship and distinctive appeal are rap-
idly boosting her into the top eche-
lon of show business. Ruth Olay,
who never really “made it” in her
home town before this, returned in
triumph.
Despite a rather pointless intro-
duction by actor Donald O'Connor,
whose rambling remarks succeeded
only in conveying a what-am-I-doing-
here-anyway feeling, Ruth jumped
with both feet into her act with On
Behalf of the Visiting Fireman. Hei
opening number, in fact, was the
weakest tune of a group of seven
which included Tess’ Torch Sone,
Do You Know What It Means to
Miss New Orleans, Slow But Sure,
Never Do, Singin’ in the Rain and
I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My
Sister Kate, the last named being en-
core-by-demand.
Apart from the aforementioned
distinctive style, Miss Olay vocally
projects with frequent scalp-tingling
power and a sort of barrelhouse jazz
feeling that leaves nothing to the
imagination. Yet, she is by no means
strictly a belter. Her treatment of
New Orleans was balladic almost to
the dragging point and the humor in
the slow, rocking Slow But Sure lay
in the broadly insinuating sexiness.
The closing Shimmy was_ ideally
chosen for its blockbusting impact.
Miss Olay has clearly arrived as a
top club entertainer.
for the finest sound
the top pros play
HARRY EDISON
Harry Edison combo
LES ELGART
Les & Larry.Elgart band
RICHARD MALTBY
Richard Maltby Orchestra
and other top pros, including—RAY ANTHONY, Ray Anthony
Band; LOUIS ARMSTRONG, Louis Armstrong combo; SHORTY
BAKER, Duke Ellington Orchestra; JOHN HOWELL, WGN Or-
chestra; MICKEY MANGANO, Nelson Riddle Orchestra; PHIL
NAPOLEON, Phil Napoleon combo; GEORGE ROCK, Spike Jones
Orchestra; SHORTY SHEROCK, Nelson Riddle Orchestra;
CHARLIE SPIVAK, Charlie Spivak Orchestra; CLARK TERRY,
Duke Ellington Orchestra.
July 9, 1959 @ 41
Stan Kenton
and Staff*
to hold
Musicamp
Enrollment soon closing
at INDIANA UNIVERSITY
JULY 26 thru AUG. 1, 1959
*The staff...
e@ LAURINDO ALMEIDA, guitar
e RUSS GARCIA, arranging
e DR. GENE HALL (Dean)
e DON JACOBY, trumpet
e JOHN LA PORTA, reeds
@ SHELLY MANNE, drums
e TOMMY SHEPARD, trombone
and others to be announced
Enrollment limited
Mail coupon now!
NATIONAL STAGE BAND CAMP
Box 221, South Bend, Indiana
Please send me details of the Stan Menton
Clinics, to be held at Indiana University, July 26
thru August 1, 1959.
NAME So
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42 ¢ DOWN BEAT
(Continued from Page 21)
on this section. And each time trum-
peter Phil Candreva faultlessly hit
the sustained note, Nichols muttered
in admiration. “Listen to that.’’ He
shook his head. “It’s beautiful, just
beautiful.”
When the final take was com-
pleted, the cornetist suddenly stood
up and: said, “I know just what to
do.” He reached in his pocket and
pulled out some change, examined
the money, then began asking for
pennies from those nearby.
He returned to his chair, hesitated
a moment and mused, half to him-
sell, “I wonder if that trumpet
player would mind if I laid this
nickel and five cents on his music
stand. | must show him how much
I appreciate what he did.”
Then, in explanation of his hesi-
tancy, he continued, “Musicians are
very funny, y’know. You really gotta
handle ‘em with kid gloves. I had
a clarinet player in my band once
who played some fantastic stuff, so
good you'd hardly believe it. One
night he gassed me so much I pulled
a handful of change out of my
pocket and just threw it on_ his
stand. I was so happy, it was the
only thing I could think to do. Nat-
urally, I didn’t want to jump up on
the stand and hug and kiss him.. .
“Well,” Red added with a grin,
“he misunderstood completely. He
jumped up and started yelling at me,
‘What the hell's the idea? You wan-
na be smart? well, so can I.’ The
guy wanted to beat my head in. Man,
1 had to talk mighty fast to get him
to see it my way. But it just goes to
show how musicians are...”
With that, Red rose and took the
nickel and pennies over to trumpeter
Candreva. Apparently this time
there was no misunderstanding, for
when the cornetist returned, his
brown eyes were dancing and there
was 2 broad smile on his face. La
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ISSUE
6th
(Continued From Page 8)
been doing fantastic business at Mac
Trii!'s Lounge in New Haven. Book-
ing lor the spot is done by WAVZ
jazv disc jockey Gene Stuart. Gene
als produced the second WAVZ jazz
concert on the New Haven Green
during the week-long Arts Festival.
Bobby Scott, piano and vibes, Mun-
deli Lowe, guitar, and flautist Herbie
Mann took part...
J. J. Johnson reports that good
things have happened fast since he
got his permanent cabaret card
(Down Beat, June 25). A week-end
at Top O° The Pole was followed by
a week at the Village Vanguard, from
whence he went into a two-week run
at the new Basin Street East. Then
he left for three weeks at the Jazz
Workshop in San Francisco; two
weeks at the Melody Lounge in Den-
ver, the Playboy Festival in Chicago,
a week at Chicago’s Sutherland
Lounge and, finally, a run at Pea-
cock Alley in St. Louis. He’s booked
as solid as Sammy Davis, Jr... .
Stan Kenton’s orchestra partici-
pated in a special musical program
televised by ABC and hosted by Dick
Clark June 28. It traced the history
of the recording industry for the last
decade . . .-Erroll Garner will inau-
gurate his fall tour for Sol Hurok
at Carnegie Hall on October 16. He
is currently busy with his new music
firm, Garner Music (affiliated with
ASCAP) and has already put 60
compositions in the catalog :
Erskine Hawkins is still leading his
orchestra.
Singer James Everett, a tenor, won
a Search For Talent contest spon-
sored by the Donbar Estates. His
prize in an engagement with the
Duke Ellington orchestra later this
summer, at the Starlight Roof of
the Waldorf Astoria .. .
Folk singer Odetta, whose full
name is Odetta Felious, has married
Daniel Gordon of a Chicago concert
management firm ... Maynard Fer-
guson is planning to film the leading
Jazz stars on the continent while he
is on his European tour this fall.
He wants to obtain enough film foot-
age to have 26-fifteen minute jazz
programs. TV stations in Toronto
and Montreal have already given
him standing orders for the series
... Mike Gold will lead a jazz combo
at Pine Hill Lodge, Mount Freedom,
N.Y. this summer. . .
Duke Ellington reassembled his
band in Syracuse, N.Y., after finishing
his movie stint in Ishpeming, Mich.
While there, he did his work on the
only piano in town, in the dining
room of a hotel, While he sat com-
posing and rehearsing the score for
Anatomy Of A Murder, all the local
residents just happened in for coffee
to hear Duke at work. It was
the biggest non-paying audience he
had played to ina long time .. .
Gunther Schuller was among the
composers speaking at the National
Convention and Arts Council Con-
ference in Phoenix, Arizona last
month Jack Douglas, recently
sacked as a writer on the Jack Paar
show, followed Lenny Bruce at the
Den (Hotel Duane) with a new
comedy routine . Cab Calloway
has been offered the role of a gamb-
ler in Free and Easy, a new musical
by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mer-
cer scheduled for Broadway next
season. It will star Sammy Davis,
Je... ,
Bob Thiele discovered some old
tapes of an unknown boogie-woogie
piano player from Tennessee named
Buck Hammar, which he will release
on Signature .. . The Red Nichols
engagement at the Roundtable was
so successful that it topped the Dukes
of Dixieland. Red and his gang have
been signed to return right after
Labor Day and again during the
Christmas holidays ... John S, Wil-
son, jazz reviewer for the New York
Times and contributor to Down
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up of stints with such great
bands as Boyd Raeburn, Vic-
tor Young, Tommy Dorsey,
Harry James, Les Brown and
has recorded with many
modern jazz groups — Dave
Pell octet, Marty Paitch and
Andre Previn to name a few.
Tony is now with NBC. Tony
Rizzi is a man who knows
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To be able to write all your own arrange-
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@ To know the 4-part harmony of every chord of
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Beat, narrated an evening program
of jazz during the Newark Arts Fes-
tival commemorating the 50th anni-
versary of the Newark, N.J. Mu-
seum.
IN PERSON
Apollo Theater—DAKOTA STATON and the
MODERN JAZZ Quartet, until June 2%,
The COASTERS, June 27-July 3. GOSPEL
SHOW, July 4-July 10.
sasin Street East—THE TRENIERS.
Birdland—STAN KENTON orchestra and
PHINEAS NEWBORN trio, until July 1,
CHICO HAMILTON quintet and the MAS.-
TERSOUNDS, July 2-16.
Bon Soir—FELICIA SANDERS, MILT
KAMEN, THREE FLAMES.
Central Plaza (Fridays and Saturdays)—
CONRAD JANIS. band, SANDE WIL-
LIAMS, TONY PARENTI, WILLIE (THE
LION) SMITH, and others in jam session,
Copacabana—FRANKIE VAUGHAN,
Den (Hotel Duane)—JACK DOUGLAS and
PAT SCOTT, indefinitely.
Eddie Condon’s — CUTTY CUTSHALL,
EDDIE CONDON, HERB HALL are regu-
lars.
Embers—JONAH JONES QUARTET and
EUGENE SMITH TRIO, until July 4.
Five Spot—RANDY WESTON quartet and
MAL WALDRON quartet, with PEPPER
ADAMS.
Half Note—EDDIE COSTA-NAT ADDER-
LEY, until June 29. LENNIE TRISTANO
with LEE KONITZ, June 30-July 15.
Latin Quarter—JOHNNIE RAY.
Metropole—-Downstairs, afternoons—JOHN-
NIE RAE trio and TONY PARENTI
group: Downstairs, nights—ROY ELD-
RIDGE, COLEMAN HAWKINS, HENRY
(RED) ALLEN in jam sessions: Upstairs
every night but Thursday—GENE KRUPA
quartet.
Nick's Tavern—BILLY MAXTED band.
Roosevelt Grill—_LENNY HERMAN band and
AL CONTI trio.
Roundtable—JACK TEAGARDEN SEXTET
and MARIAN McPARTLAND TRIO, until
July 20.
Ryan’s—WILBUR DE PARIS BAND, in-
definitely.
Savannah Club—LUCILLE DIXON quintet,
indefinitely.
Starlight Roof (Waldorf Astoria)—ELLA
FITZGERALD and COUNT BASIE band,
until July 1.
Taft Hotel Grill—VINCENT LOPEZ, indefi-
nitely.
Theresa Cabaret—LOU DONALDSON, until
July 5. ART BLAKEY July 7-19.
Village Gate—PETE LONG and SYMPHONY
SID present jazz on Mondays.
Village Vanguard—CARMEN McRAE
IRWIN COREY, until June 30.
SIMON TRIO opens July 14.
CHICAGO
So many musicians seem to be
coming back from New York after
trying their luck there that some
jazz clubs report they’re having trou-
ble keeping them off the bandstands
for jamming...
A flashy package featuring the
“exotic jazz” of the Arthur Lyman
group is scheduled for eight weeks,
starting July 7, at the Edgewater
Beach hotel. Lyman’s group, a big
success in Hawaii, has never ap-
peared in this country. A package
show, including dancers and singers
—and a knife thrower, yet—will ac-
company them...
Delmar will record New Orleans
clarinetist Albert Nicholas while he
is in town to replace Bill Rein-
hardt’s Dixielanders for two weeks
at Jazz, Ltd... . Art Hodes is in for
a lengthy Monday and Tuesday
nights stint at the Preview .. -
Pianist Lil Armstrong, Louis’s ex-
wife, is in the Red Arrow Sunday
evenings. With her in the group are
Odell Rand on clarinet, Jim Sulli-
and
NINA
van,
tuba, -
Taylor
date ir
The
Joe Se
Horn
will be
siOns l
Sulliva
Johnm
booked
Bam) u—
KE I
Blue N
GARY
DUKE
Che Pa
ing Ju
Cloister—-
until J
Dame
Gate of
SRIFF
London |
23-July
Saturd:
group
Rendezvo
June 28
Louis
the hea
mingo’s
hot 17-
up wher
makers
Louis I
ered a
hall, wl
number
sent nu
Sunday
and his
Copa Ic
stage i
Frank §
Perez
the Ti
where c
cia and
Polly WV
Vegas a
see Pere
entrance
ee
Smith b
Theater
that the
They wi
end of /
and his
Flaming
entertail
Brandy
at the N
headlini
cana. H
Herman
Lou Wa
program
Arts Fes.
ith anni-
y.J. Mu-
YN and the
i June 26.
§ GOSPEL
ERS.
lestra and
til July 1
1 the MAS-
tS, MILT
aturdays)—
IDE WIL-
LIE (THE
am session,
AN.
'IGLAS and
UTSHALL,
L are regu-
RTET and
July 4
juartet and
h PEPPER
fr ADDER-
TRISTANO
uly 15.
yns—JOHN-
is: Upstairs
NE KRUPA
» band.
N band and
N SEXTET
TRIO, until
BAND, in-
ON quintet,
yria)—ELLA
ASIE band,
PEZ, indefi-
DSON, until
19.
SYMPHONY
fcRAE and
30. NINA
m to be
fork after
hat some
ving trou-
andstands
uring the
ur Lyman
rht weeks,
Edgewater
up, a big
never ap-
\ package
nd singers
t—will ac-
vy Orleans
; while he
sill Rein-
‘wo weeks
s is in for
Tuesday
iew ..-
ouis’s eX-
w Sunday
group are
Jim Sulli-
yan, trombone, Mike Walbridge,
tuba, Ed Lynch, banjo, and Jasper
Tavior, who did his first record
date in 1919 with W. C. Handy.
The Monday night sessions that
Joe Segal was sponsoring at Gate of
Horn until a fire in the building
will be resumed shortly. Segal’s ses-
sions usually feature trumpeter Ira
Sullivan and tenor saxophonist
Johnny Griffin, Griffin has been
booked to appear at Newport.
IN PERSON
Bam! u—GEORGE BRUNIS’ group and the
LEE LIND Duo, indefinitely.
Blue Note—SARAH VAUGHAN and _ the
GARY BERG Quintet, June 24-July 12,
DUKE ELLINGTON, July 15-Aug. 9.
Che Paree—The CROSBY Brothers, start-
ing June 25.
Cloister—MEG MYLES and DON ADAMS,
until July 6. Carmen McRae and the Notre
Dame LETTERMEN, July 7-27.
Gate of Horn—IRA SULLIVAN, JOHNNY
GRIFFIN and others, Monday evenings.
London House—TEDDY WILSON Trio, June
2}-July 12. OSCAR PETERSON Trio, July
14-Aug. 9.
Mister Kelly’s—MEL TORME and FAY DE
WIT, June 22-July 5. MORT SAHL, July
6-Aug. 12.
Preview—CLYDE McCOY, June 24-July 5
Ray Colomb’s Jazzville—BOB DAVIS Trio,
until July 8 BUDDY GRECO, July 8-19.
Red Arrow (Stickney, Ill.)—FRANZ JACK
SON’s All Stars are regulars Friday and
Saturday evenings. LIL ARMSTRONG
group Sunday evenings.
Rendezvous—AL BELLETO Sextet, until
June 28. JOHNNY MARTEL starts July 29.
LAS VEGAS
Louis Bellson drums his way into
the hearts of the crowds in the Fla-
mingo’s Driftwood lounge with his
hot 17-piece orchestra, picking right
up where Harry James and his music-
makers left off . . . Orchestra leader
Louis Basil of the Sahara has gath-
ered a group together at the union
hall, where they go in for classical
numbers. They hope shortly to pre-
sent numbers at public concerts on
Sunday afternoons . . . Red Norvo
and his group entertaining the Sands’
Copa lounge after a brief stint on
stage in the showroom, backing
Frank Sinatra during his stay.
Perez Prado jamming them into
the Tropicana Showcase lounge
where crowds go wild over his Patri-
cia and his new number, Tic Tac
Polly Walk. The teenagers of Las
Vegas are angry because they can’t
see Perez. The law forbidding them
entrance to the lounge and casino
Louis Prima and wife Keely
Smith back into the Sahara’s Casbah
Theater lounge, dispelling rumors
that they were leaving the Sahara.
They will be back again toward the
end of August . . . Charlie Ventura
and his group big favorites at the
Flamingo where they have been
entertaining for some time . . . Nat
Brandywine now batoning the boys
at the New Frontier, after three years
headlining the music at the Tropi-
cana. His replacement at the Trop,
Herman Kaye, has given producer
Lou Walters his notice.
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July 9, 1959 © 45
| FREE CHORD CHART For All Instruments |
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Producer Bill Hitchcock, who with
his wife, Sonia Shaw, handles all
the Sahara production numbers,
arranges the music and writes the
lyrics for each show. They make
complete changes and their new
show features a huge slot machine
which pays off in beauties. It’s a
great hit . Lionel Hampton into
the Riviera’s Starlight lounge, where
crowds jam the place for each of his
sessions. Even all the strip stars can
be seen there nightly after their
shows, joining Hamp in his numbers.
LAS VEGAS
Desert Inn—PATTI PAGE, until June 29.
ED SULLIVAN starts June 30.
Dunes—PINKY LEE, until July 1.
FRANKIE LAINE starts July 2.
El Rancho Vegas—EYDIE GORME,
BERLE starts July 1.
MARIE McDON-
June 30. MILTON
Flamingo—TED LEWIS,
ALD, LARRY ADLER. No show con-
tracted.
ROONEY,
New Frontier — MICKEY until
June 30. JAPANESE REVUE starts July 1.
until
Riviera—DENNIS DAY until June 28. RED
SKELTON starts June 30.
Sahara — GEORGE BURNS, until July 6.
SOPHIE TUCKER and THE AMES
BROTHERS start July 7.
Sands — LENA HORNE, until July 21.
JOHNNY MATHIS starts July 22.
Silver Slipper—SALLY RAND and HANK
HENRY, indefinite period.
Stardust—LE LIDO DE PARIS OF 1960,
indefinite period.
Thunderbird —CONNEE BOSWELL,
July 1, DOROTHY COLLINS, starts
9°
Tropicana—BETTY GRABLE, until Aug
RHONDA FLEMING and DICK SHAWN
start Aug. 5.
LOS ANGELES
JAZZNOTES: The first annual
Los Angeles Jazz festival will bow
at the Hollywood Bowl Sept. 25 and
26. According to promoter Hal
Lederman, the event will feature an
Afro-Caribbean night with the
George Shearing and Cal Tjader
groups . . . Benny Carter is doing a
Roulette album with the Count
Basie band on which he plays, ar-
ranges, and contributes originals.
The date is being recorded in New
York .. . Leith Stevens (Syncopation,
The Wild Ones, The Five Pennies)
will underscore The Krupa Story, the
pre-recording of which has _ been
completed at Columbia with Krupa
cutting his own drum soundtrack
Dave Brubeck will take his
whole family to live at
Inn all summer
In his second appearance on the
west coast, Sonny Rollins debuted a
| quartet at the Jazz Seville including
| Freddy Hubbard, trumpet; Henry
Grimes, bass, and Lenny McBrowne,
drums Emile Richards, vibist,
and Jimmy Bond, bassist, late of the
disbanded George Shearing quintet,
put in their cards at Local 47 and
are living in Los Angeles . . . Ful-
filling the third year of his ABC-TV
contract, Frank Sinatra is working
on four one-hour spectaculars for the
network during 1960.
until
July
Trumpeter John Anderson’s big
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the Music
ARRANGEMENTS
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s—Banjos. Earl
file Rd., Hunt-
oung or Swing
G, 341, Cooper
——————
. No fees, gim-
All labels Send
Stereo- Monaural
6,. Cleveland 1,
————
—————
—
intic
e jazz
to
—————
——_————
"Ss
rs
4
n Concert
TT
4
—"
ban, which made such a good show-
ing in the AFM’s Best New Band
contest, began a series of Monday
night concerts at the Village club
in downtown L.A. Sidemen include
Harold Land, Gerald Wilson, Ger-
ald Wiggins, Bill Green, Teddy
Edwards, Buddy Collette, Curtis
Counce, and Earl Palmer . . . One-
time child jazz vocalist Toni Harper
signed with RCA Victor. Her first
LP will be an album of original
songs penned by songwriting stu-
dents at the University of Southern
California.
One of the best new altoists on
the west coast, Lanny Morgan, is
fresh out of service and blowing
more than somewhat with the bands
of Si Zentner, Bob Florence, and
Rey DeMichel. Note the name; he’s
a comer... Si Zentner possibly has
the only band with two leaders —
himself and pianist-arranger Bob
Florence. The latter’s crew, with its
jazz book, is stirring a lot of local
interest.
SAN FRANCISCO
JAZZNOTES: A successful bene-
fit for Brew Moore, seriously ill with
pneumonia, was held in three clubs
simultaneously — The Tropics, The
Cellar, and The Jazz Workshop.
Dizzy Gillespie, who has never met
Moore, appeared in each club for
the cause . . . The Dave Brubeck
quartet interrupted its long May-
June rest at home to play a concert
at Oakland’s Woodminster Amphi-
theater on June 12... The Frisco
Jug Band, perhaps the only reading
skiffle group in the country, features
former Turk Murphy banjoist Dick
Lammi on violin . . . Promoter Irv-
ing Granz brought a package show
to the Opera House June 12 that
included Shelly Berman, Ahmad
Jamal, Dakota Staton, and the
Shelly Manne sextet . . . Virgil Gon-
salves’ new Omega album will spot-
light pianist Junior Mance, drum-
mer Benny Barth, and altoist Leo
Wright. Wright moved to New York
a few days after the recording ses-
sion, which was his first . . . San
Francisco columnists are having a
ball with the Judy Holliday-Gerry
Mulligan romance. Judy is at the
Curran in Bells Are Ringing...
Former Bob Scobey-Wally Rose
trombonist Doug Skinner has joined
Les Elgart, who appeared at the
Sands Ballroom in Oakland June
12... The University of California
sponsored an ambitious musical
week-end June 6 and 7. An open
rehearsal of Darius Milhaud’s new
Symphonie Concertante
was fol-
lowed by an evening premiere per-
formance of the work. The second
day featured jazz by Dickie Mills
and a composers and critics forum
... Kenneth Patchen gave what may
have been his last reading-with-jazz
stint in late May. Next day the poet
from Palo Alto underwent major
throat surgery.
IN PERSON
Airport Lodge—HARRY (THE
GIBSON, indefinitely.
Blackhawk—CAL TJADER, with LONNIE
IEWITT, MONGO SANTAMARIA, AL
McKIBBON, WILLIE BOBO, June 25-Aug.
30.
HIPSTER)
Booker T. Washington Hotel — MERLE
SAUNDERS TRIO, indefinitely.
Bop City—After hours sessions, usually in-
cluding MONTY WATERS, EDDIB
KHAN, FRANK HAYNES, OLE CALE-
MEYER, LEE WILLIAMS.
Burp Hollow—BOB
Friday and
The Cellar—PONY
BILL WIESJAHN,
Saturday
MIELKE
only,
POINDEXTER,
MAX
PEARCATS,
indefinitely.
with
HARTSTEIN,
CHUCK THOMPSON, indefinitely.
El Dorado, Cupertino—CHUCK TRAVIS
QUARTET, indefinitely.
FACKS II—GATEWAY SINGERS opened
June 25.
Hangover—EARL HINES, with MUGGSY
SPANIER, DARNELL HOWARD, JIMMY
ARCHEY, POPS FOSTER, EARL WAT
KINS, indefinitely; JOE SULLIVAN, in
detinitely.
hungry i
Jazz Workshop
June 19-July
Kerosene Club,
J. J.
12
San
LENNIE BRUCE opened June 25
Jose
JOHNSON QUINTET,
EL DORADO
JAZZ BAND, Thursday and Saturday only,
indefinitely.
Kewpie Doll
VINCE
Mr. Smith’s—Best
local
tractions have included J
and VIRGIL GONSALVES
MARTY MARSALA,
CATTOLICA,
featuring
indefinitely.
talent;
UDY TRISTANO
3S.
recent at
On The Levee—KID ORY, indefinitely.
Pier 23—BURT BALES, indefinitely.
lst Prize .....6 LP’s
don’t delay. Use the coupon below.
DOWN BEAT MAGAZINE
Gentlemen:
Feature Page Your Rating
Chords & Discords 6
Stereo News )
Billie Holiday Story | ee
Russia Turns Down Jazz 9
Caught In The Act 41
Red Nichols in History 19
I am a professional musician
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Here is my preference of the articles listed below:
Feature
Red Nichols Today
Live Music on Rise
MAIL THIS COUPON FOR YOUR ENTRY
Page
21
15
deebee’s scrap book 24, 48
“10 & 25 Years Ago”
George Crater
48
24
3rd Prize .....2 LP’s Next 10 winners 1 LP each
Yes, you can win anywhere from 1 to 6 of the very latest LP’s. All you do is
indicate in the coupon below, in the order of your preference, the features you
liked most in this issue of Down Beat. That’s all there is to it! No strings...
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City Zone————_State.
July 9, 1959 © 47
Music News from Coast to Coast
deebee's scrapbook #8
10 Years Ago
On Cover: Irving Berlin and Fran
Warren. Godfrey blasts DAR _ for
Jim Crow attitude on Constitution
Hall. ... Martha Raye’s second Dis-
covery record release, Miss Otis Re-
grets, is banned by networks; other
was Ooh, Dr. Kinsey, also banned.
Kenton has no plans to re-enter
the band business. . . . Fordham U.
dance committee awards Hal Mc-
Intyre $100 bonus for not playing Copsy from Frankie Master’s band.
any bop during prom. Decca . Frank Quartell at the Villa Ven-
issues Vocalion label to sell for 49c. ice, Chicago, hires a new trumpet
Marian McPartland reports on man, named Ralph Marterie.
Charles Delaunay’s International Dick McPartland and His Embassy
Jazz Festival in Paris...among those Four at the Stevens Hotel, Chicago.
performing: Lips Page, Max Roach, . Milt Shaw playing first violin for
Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Kenny Eddy Duchin. Carl Hoff con-
Clarke and Sidney Bechet....Glen tinues at the French Casino. .. .
Island Casino tries big bands again Jimmy Lunceford records Breakfast
with Claude Thornhill. Red Ni- Ball (Stark and Koehler, Arlen)
chols is at Hangover Club in L.A. in- from the movie, Let’s Fall in Love.
definitely. . Quote from Nick La . Jerome Kern ard Oscar Hammer-
Rocca, cornetist with the Original stein Il have three strong tunes in
Dixieland Jazz Band: “The inven- the movie Music in the Air — One
tion of jazz was the result of a mis- More Dance, We Belong Together,
take” . Billy Eckstine—Charlie J’m So Eager. ... Harry Warren and
Barnet bill, at Bop City, N.Y., breaks Al Dubin have a new hit, J Only
all records. ... Have Eyes for You.
25 Years Ago
Quote from a certain sideman: “J
had a good week last week. I worked
three jobs—one for $3, and two little
ones.” .. . Ben Pollack still at Holly-
wood Dinner Club, Galveston.
Charlie Agnew set for Meadowbrook
Country Club. Adele Girard,
harpist, joins Harry Sosnik at the
Edgewater Beach Hotel, Chicago. ...
Paul Whiteman trying to lure Ralph
Why it’s a
genuine Clyde
McCoy plunger!”
ED SHERMAN
THE GREATEST NAMES IN JAZZ WILL HELP YOU BE A MODERNIST!
LENNIE TRISTANO: JAZZ LINES. First examples
for his dazzling piano magic, an absolute must
for all pianists 2.00
BUD POWELL: The amazing artistry of this great
Pianist. All solos as recorded. First time avail-
able. Vol. $1.50 each
NEW DIRECTIONS IN JAZZ PIANO—Page after
page of interesting harmonic innovations, new
styles and techniques to _ fresh, modern ideas
to the pianist .$1.50
INNOVATIONS IN FULL CHORD TECHNIQUE—
This complete book illustrates how Brubeck,
Shearing, Tristano use the full chord technique
—poarallei, block, whole tone, minor......$1.50
GEORGE SHEARING PLAYS LEONARD FEATHER
From the latest recordings by thts Giant of Jozz
come these ultra modern Jazz stylings in Pro-
gressive Jazz for Piano.. $1.50
THELONIOUS MONK PIANO ORIGINALS—The first
written exomples of this genius’ improvising and
chord sequences. From his latest recording. $1.50
HAL SCHAEFER IN THE JAZZ WORK SHOP
—6 brilliant piano transcriptions direct from
his new RCA Victor Album $1.25
CHORDS AND PROGRESSIONS. VOLUME 1 & 2.
—Theory made easy! Learn Popular, Modern,
Chromatic, Deceptive, Substitute and ‘'Blues’’
progressions so essential for the modern
musician $1.50 each
DAVE BRUBECK’S ‘PIANO WORKS — transcribed
from his latest recordings so you can play them
too. The first printed examples of the Brubeck
creative style and improvisations—Volumes |
ond Il....
HOW TO IMPROVISE—Compiete contro! of the
subtle sounds is yours in everything you play from
Dixielond to Latin for all instruments 1
SHELLY MANNE DRUM FOLIO: Original drum parts
as written and played by Shelly. His special re-
cording free, loaded with new ideas & technics
Play and hear the drum parts! $
SCHEDULED DRUM WARM-UP: By SAM ULANO.
For the Drummer with a limited time for study.
Will enable you to play the most exacting drum
$1.50
Postage paid on prepaid orders
SUPER SOUNDS SIMPLIFIED: Dr. Deutsch’s system
of applying Hindemith, Schoenberg, and Schillinger
to modern Jazz $1.50
JOHNNY SMITH’S AID TO TECHNIC—This great
Guitarist shows how to acquire dexterity, speed
and complete control of the fingerboard.. .$1.50
JOHNNY SMITH GUITAR INTERPRETATIONS
Take your pick, but you must know the modern
guitar sounds. This book shows you how. Vols.
1 and Il $1.50 each
CHARLIE CHRISTIAN: HARLEM JAZZ. The only
Ad Lib solos, riffs and single string choruses by
this great Jazz Guitarist. Will help you formulate
a style in the Jazz idiom ..only $1.50
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CHORDS — A reference book
with over 1000 chords used in modern music.
Every musicion needs one
MODERN JAZZ: How to play the new Jazz styling.
Every phase covered. All instruments 1.50
A COURSE IN MODERN HARMONY —
where old fashioned books end basic
foundation for the study of arranging.....$1.50
AD-LIB—Basic instruction in the art of creating
AD LIB choruses. TAKE-OFFS and improvising.
Includes ANALYZED AD LIB Choruses on 24
Standards <s ; only $1.50
190 MODERN JAZZ PASSAGES: Examples of mod-
ern Jazz ad-lib styling as used by the great
jazz stars. Name your instrument $1.50
SHORTY ROGERS’ SKETCH-ORKS: 13 Originals for
small combos exactly as recorded. Designed for
any small $1.50
MILES DAVIS SKETCH ORKS:
small combos exactly as recorded. Playable by
any small group combo Only $1.50
TONY SCOIT WAILS: REAL JAZZ for Clarinet by
this new sensation. A new concept in modern
jazz for all clarinetists. Vol. | & Il. .$1.50 each
ROCK AND ROLL SKETCH-ORKS: 12 Swinging
Originals for small combos—all instruments. All
in one big book .. only $1.50
MODERN PIZZICATO STRING BASS: DIRECT ap-
proach to Jazz lines for Blues, Progressions, Im-
provisation, Speed, etc. Create a perfect Bass
line. Complete course 3.00
Begins
10 Originals for
SEND FOR FREE LIST—C. O. D. Service on Two Books or More
Rush Your Order — a post card will do
Foreign orders given immediate attention.
48 @« DOWN BEAT
R and M SupplyCo
MILT HINTON and OSCAR PETTIFORD. Great Jazz
Lines for String Bass. Fresh new ideas for the
modern bass men. Vol. 1 & Vol. 2... .$1.50 each
23 ORIGINALS BY GERRY MULLIGAN. For smoll
Combos exactly as he recorded them. All in one
big book. PLAYABLE BY ANY COMBO. ....$2.00
27 ORIGINALS BY JIMMY GIUFFRE. For small
Combos as he recorded them. Designed for any
small group. All in one big book.....Only $2.00
24 ORIGINALS BY PETE RUGOLO: Designed for
and playable by any combo. First time available.
Real professional material. 2.00
20 ORIGINALS BY ARIF MARDIN. Designed for
all small combos. Melody, counter melody, bass
lines, rhythm etc. Ultra modern Jazz 2.00
STAN GETZ: Tenor Sax Jazz.
recordings come these greatest of all modern
improvisations and jazz lines Only $1.50
ZOOT SIMS PRESENTS: THE ART OF JAZZ. Includes
the only written examples of his exciting Impro-
visations and Ad Lib choruses $1.50
1500 CHORD PROGRESSIONS: For a better technic
in AD LIB playing—Improvise jazz passages on
these Progressions. For all musicians 1.5
CHARLIE PARKER'S YARDBIRD ORIGINALS
Any alto sax man can take off on these original
solos and ad-lib exactly as Parker $1.50
LEE KONITZ: JAZZ LINES. Exciting Alto Sax im-
provisations from his latest recordings.
instructions on acquiring the new Jazz
SONNY ROLLINS’ FREEDOM SUITE: Great Tenor
Sax jazz lines, new exciting jazz from his newest
Riverside recording 1.
LEARN TO WRITE PROGRESSIVE SOUNDS—New
sounds through harmony, melody, 12 tone technic
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THE SOUNDS OF GERRY MULLIGAN: Ultra modern
swinging Sax solos from this fabulous stylist’s
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CHAS. PARKER'S BEBOP SOLOS FOR ALTO SAX—
exciting new sounds: a must for alto men. Jazz
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From his fabulous
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trumpet dependability. Leading drummers pick equipment that is
erie. ... reliable . . . equipment that will deliver the same brilliant
Embassy sharp tones, hour after hour, wherever they perform.
, Chic ago. For more information, contact your nearest Leedy dealer.
violin for
Hoff con-
ino.
Breakfast *
r, Arlen) S ... Ray selects this
ery a Leedy outfit finished
lin Love. in Marine Pearl:
* Hammer- 5% x 14 SNARE DRUM
tunes in 8x12 TOM-TOM
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16x16 TOM-TOM
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° ae DRUM CO. 2249 Wayne Ave. « Chicago, Ill
hear RED NICHOLS’ famous
SIEEMIER
SOIUINIE
in Paramount Pictures’
“THE FIVE PENNIES”
the dramatic story of the
great jazz cornetist
starring
DANNY KAYE as Red Nichols
Red Nichols says: a
“A GREAT STAR and my \ | <3
anénta ree necorone | GREATSELMER HORN ¢ Gag
made direct from the
sound track of make a GREAT MOVIE”
“THE FIVE PENNIES”
visit your Selmer dealer now! Red Nichols plays his
(Offer expires September 30, 1959) SELMER on the sound track
ce al
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